Harry Potter and the Lost Son
by sam.riedeman
Summary: Takes place right after the Deathly Hallows epilogue. Harry Potter, the Head of the Auror Office, must go after a new villian after a break from Azkaban with his fellow Aurors Ron Weasley, Teddy Lupin, and Magical Lawyer Hermione Weasley. Who is this person? What are they after?
1. Prologue - Peaceful Times

The train began to move, and Harry walked alongside it, watching his son's face already ablaze with excitement. Harry kept smiling and waving, even though it was like a little bereavement, watching his son glide away from him. . .

The last trace of steam evaporated in the autumn air. The train rounded a corner. Harry's hand was still raised in farewell.

"He'll be alright," murmured Ginny.

As Harry looked at her, he lowered his hand absentmindedly and touched the lightning scar on his forehead.

"I know he will," Harry replied.

* * *

"Daddy, can I come with you to the Ministry today? Pleeeaaase?" asked Lily, pleadingly, as they all began to walk away from the platform.

"No, Lil, I'm afraid not; the Auror's office is no place for children," Harry replied, "and I also have to make sure Teddy doesn't break anything," he ended with a tone of humor.

"Don't worry, honey, I'm going to take you over to Grandma and Grandpa's house today," said Ginny. "You'll be able to play with Hugo, isn't that right, Ron?"

"Yeah! You'll have a great time cooking and cleaning with Grandma, and I'm sure Grandpa will love to show you his motorcycle," said Ron enthusiastically. "I heard he almost blew up the chicken coop last weekend," he said aside to Harry.

Hugo looked excited, but Lily looked disappointed.

"Actually, Hermione, could you take the kids over to the Burrow?" asked Ginny. "I have an interview with ol' Gwenog Jones; word is she's retiring."

"Sure, it'll be no problem, I have a meeting with my boss later, but I have time," said Hermione.

"Harry, you and I should get going, I don't suppose we should be much later than we are already, even though you are the Head of the Auror Office," chuckled Ron.

"I suppose," mumbled Harry. He bent down and gave Lily a kiss on the cheek, "Be good to Grandma and Grandpa."

"I always am," she replied exasperatedly. Harry laughed softly. He also gave Ginny a kiss goodbye. Lily looked away in disgust.

"Be safe," Ginny said to Harry.

"I always have been," he replied.

Ron kissed Hermione, then she and the children walked off through the brick wall they entered, while Harry and Ron Disapparated to the Ministry, and Ginny to the Daily Prophet.


	2. Normal Day at the Office

Harry popped out of a fireplace along the wall of the vast hall of the Ministry of Magic, and Ron out of the one adjacent. "Busy today…" murmured Ron. Harry and Ron walked with the large crowd of people to the security entrance. On his way, Harry bought an issue of the _Daily Prophet_, as he did every day, and tucked it under his arm.

"I can't believe it, look who it is! Rich – Richard! Hey, wait up!" Ron shouted at an enormous figure ahead of them in the crowd. Ron and Harry ran to catch up with Richard Hagrid.

"Hi'a 'Arry, Ron," said Rich, towering above them with a small beard and the same warm look as his father. "Drop off yer kids today?"

"Yeah, we just got back – how's your dad?" Harry asked. "We get letters once in a while, but we haven't seen him in ages."

"Well he's alright, but it's my mum that's not. He hasn't wanted to worry you guys, but she's been sick, ya see," rumbled Rich, "She says it's cuz she's so far from home," Rich chuckled, "but that's not it."

"I'm sorry to hear that, big man," said Ron.

"Here – an old – er – friend of mine is a healer at St. Mungo's, drop him an owl any day," said Harry as he handed Draco Malfoy's card to Rich.

"Thank ye, 'Arry. It's mighty nice of ye, I appreciate it," replied Rich.

"So, what are you doing here in the first place, Rich?" asked Ron.

"Oh – I got a job up on level four; ya know, workin' with magical creatures. Got 'Outstanding' in Care for Magical Creatures on my OWL and NEWT, so they hired me right up. It's me first day you see."

"Well that's great, we're on level two so maybe we'll see you around. Well, we really should get going; you're going to want to go to the visitor's entrance on the right since you don't have a name tag like us," said Harry as he gestured to the purple Ministry badges on their jackets.

"Tha'd be nice. Thanks 'Arry," replied Rich, as he lumbered through the crowd to the visitor's entrance.

"Man, I wonder why Hagrid kept him a secret for so long; I mean, we were fourteen when it happened, we would have understood," exclaimed Ron.

"I dunno, it would have been complicated," said Harry as they showed their badges to the security guard. "How's it going Stan?" Harry asked the security guard, Stan Shunpike.

"Alrigh', jus' another day," he replied.

"Yeah I guess so . . . Take care."

Harry and Ron clambered into a lift with quite a few Ministry interns, including Louis Lovegood who was talking animatedly to an unrelenting Elizabeth Longbottom.

"… and mum would love to have you for dinner," Louis said dreamily. "She said your father would love her Freshwater Plimply soup when she made it."

"Hmm, maybe …" she replied tentatively. "Will your brother, Henry, be there?"

"Oh – er – yes, I suppose he will," said Louis disappointed, while Elizabeth seemed happier.

"_Level two, Department of Magical Law Enforcement, including Improper use of Magic office, Auror Headquarters, Wizengamot Administration Services, and the Magical Law Offices_," said the familiar female voice.

Ron and Harry stepped off the lift and waited for the doors to close before bursting into laughter.

"I always thought Neville and Luna would get together, but I guess it was just delayed a generation," said Ron.

Harry nodded in agreement, still smiling, and strode down the deep purple carpeted corridor to the Auror Headquarters. They stepped into the familiar cubicle-filled office room, and Ron walked to his cubicle while Harry walked down to his office in the back of the room. As he walked down the rows, he stopped by the cubicle of an old man.

"Hey, Dawlish, how're the gran-kids?" Harry asked a wispy-haired wizard.

"Fine I guess," the old man replied in a grave tone.

"Oh, well that's nice;" replied Harry awkwardly. "Well, have a nice day."

"Hmm, maybe . . ." he mumbled turning back to his work as Harry walked onward to his office. He entered his office and hung his traveling coat on the coat rack. He saw the familiar and nearly empty bulletin board, which held one photo of a familiar face and a map of red pins. Harry passed the picture of Gregory Goyle, and the map of the UK with pins around the north working south, finally ending in Bristol where Goyle reportedly derailed a Muggle subway. Harry sat down at his desk which only contained photos of his family and some quills laid out neatly. It seemed like it would be another easy day.

_Bang._ What seemed to sound like a filing cabinet falling over made Harry mutter to himself, "Teddy . . ."

Then Harry's office door swung open revealing a Teddy Lupin walking backwards into Harry's office with his wand out repairing a filing cabinet.

"Good morning, Harry," Teddy Lupin said enthusiastically, sporting turquoise hair that day. "What a lovely day."

"So, James told us," smirked Harry, remembering Teddy's encounter at King's Cross station. Teddy's hair turned a tad darker as he reddened. "So what can I do for you today?"

"I know I've only been here a few weeks, but I think I'm ready for a mission, adventure!" he exclaimed energetically as he karate chopped the air.

"Well, Ted, the fact is there isn't much adventure going on now, all we have is Goyle running amok, but I think we almost have him."

"Yeah . . . know, I know, but I'm sure there's got to be a few 're-enactors' out there, waiting, waiting," Teddy said ominously.

"Ted, just go back to your cubicle. Write Victoré a poem, or a love note or something. Just get out of here," said Harry humorously as he laughed. As Teddy walked out of his office, his hair slowly turning pin as he pulled out a quill and wrote some notes down, Harry, with a chuckle, pulled out the issue of the _Daily Prophet_ he had bought in the Atrium. He opened it to the sports section as he did every day, and scanned the columns until he found the one he was looking for – the one with Ginny's face over the top. He gazed at her face for a moment, and read her article. He was nearly finished when Roger Davies burst into his office.

"We've got him," he panted. "We've got Goyle."

"Where?" Harry asked immediately.

"Birmingham," said Roger. "No clue why, he was obviously heading south before, I dunno why Birmingham."

"Doesn't matter, let's go." Harry grabbed his traveling coat off the coat hanger in the corner of his office and followed Davies out. As he closed the door, he shouted to the whole room, "Ron, hold down the fort, Ron's in charge everybody! And Teddy, you're with me. Time to get that adventure you were looking for."


	3. Goyle Trouble

Harry, Davies, and Teddy appeared in a desolate alleyway. Teddy's hair was now black, as it was when he was serious. "He was reported just north of here," said Davies. "We should go up this street and we should find him pretty easily."

They all pulled up their hoods and entered the street. They were in a dank part of the town, and the street was completely deserted except one or two homeless people lying on the curb. They only walked for a few minutes before they heard yelling. The three of them began to walk faster, then there was a scream, and they began to sprint, their cloaks billowing behind them. They turned a corner and found a large masked man waving his wand and two Muggles in the air while two children were crying and screaming for help in a dead end alley. Near the people was a bakery with the front window shattered on the ground. Teddy immediately ran toward the large man.

"No Ted, wait!" Harry bellowed after him. But Teddy kept running and tackled the large man; consequently, the man and the woman began to fall. "_Impedimenta!_" shouted Harry, causing the Muggles to stop falling a few feet from the ground for a few moments, then fall to the ground rather softly.

The man stood up and helped the woman, and then ran towards their children. As soon as they reached them, Davies pointed his wand at them and said, "_Cave Inimuicum,_" and the Muggles were suddenly trapped in an invisible barrier.

"_Deprimo!_" They heard the large man yell, and Teddy was thrown away from him and hit a brick wall. Davies ran towards him and a deep voice cried out, "_Avada Kedavra!_"

Harry watched in horror as Roger Davies fell to the ground, and he raised his wand towards the man as the man raised his wand slowly towards Teddy. "_Incarcerous!_" shouted Harry, and the man was instantly tangled with ropes and his wand clattered to the ground as he fell over. Harry first ran to Teddy, and made sure he was okay.

"I'm fine," said Teddy groggily. "go get Davies up, he doesn't look as good."

"I don't think I can help him . . ." Harry said as he wiped a tear from his eye. Teddy closed his eyes and leaned back against the wall.

"No, no, no, no, it's my entire fault," said Teddy.

"That's not important now, I want you to go back to the Ministry and get an Obliviation Squad, don't argue. Go, I'll stay with Goyle."

Teddy hesitantly stood up and gained his balance before Disapperating. Harry then turned his attention to the Muggles. They were huddled together behind the man, cowering. "Don't worry, I'm here to help you," he said as he reached the invisible barrier, he waved his wand upward and walked through the barrier. "This will make you feel better," he said and the man seemed to relax. Then Harry expertly stunned them all and lowered them slowly down to the ground with his wand.

Harry removed the barrier and turned his attention to Roger Davies. Harry closed his eyes and conjured a white sheet and placed it over his body. Then, Harry turned toward Goyle, who was tied up, and suspiciously unresisting. As he neared Goyle, Goyle turned over and faced Harry and an uncanny smile spread across his face. Harry spat at Goyle, "You realize you're going away for a long time, you filth. You've killed for the last time." Goyle didn't respond, but just began to laugh hysterically. Harry backed away, unsure how to respond.

Suddenly, three – then four – then five people Apparated near Harry. Two gathered around the Muggles, while one began to repair the damage around them and put everything back in order. "You two – take him away," ordered Harry as the last two marched up to the hysterical Goyle and picked him up and Disapparated. The air was ripped with silence as the three figures disappeared. Harry felt a sickness inside him. A feeling he had not felt for nearly nineteen years.


	4. Guilt

Harry appeared on a small, unkempt patch of grass across the street from number twelve, Grimmauld place. Harry looked both ways and crossed the road and walked up the short stone steps to the door with a number twelve on it and tapped his wand on the battered door. After a series of metallic clicks, the door opened, and he heard, "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!"

Harry stepped in and knelt down and caught Lily as she ran into his arms. "How was your day, sweetheart?" he asked as he smiled.

"Good, Daddy; Grandma and I made cookies and then we went to Fortescue's and got ice cream with Hugo and Grandpa . . ." she rambled on, "How about you, Daddy?"

Harry sighed, "Not so good, why don't you go on upstairs and wait for me?"

"Okay, Daddy," said Lily, and she kissed him on the cheek. Harry felt a little warmer inside. Lily ran up the staircase leaving Harry in the hallway as Ginny walked in from the kitchen.

"How was your day?" Ginny asked smiling, but her smile faltered when she saw his expression. "What happened?"

Harry explained how they caught Goyle, and how Roger Davies was killed.

"Oh my goodness!" Ginny exclaimed. "I can't believe Goyle did it. Davies. Davies!" she repeated, shocked.

"I know. Teddy's distraught. He thinks it's his fault."

"Oh, poor Teddy. Is he going to drop in later and stay?"

"Yes, he had to be debriefed. He also wanted to visit Marietta and tell her. He should be here soon." Just then, they heard the same metallic clicks, and Teddy Lupin walked in, looking distressed.

"Teddy, how are you?" asked Ginny as she went over to him and helped him out of his traveling cloak. "Harry told me."

"Fine, Ginny, thanks but I'm just going to go upstairs and to bed. Good night," Teddy replied, as he hung his cloak on the banister and walked slowly up the stairs.

"I worry about him," Ginny said to Harry.

"Me too."

* * *

Harry woke up the next morning next to Ginny, who was still sleeping. He quietly got dressed in his deep purple Ministry robes, and crept across the hallway to the bedroom adjacent to their own. Harry quietly opened the door to find the familiar pink room with Lily sleeping peacefully on her bed. Satisfied, Harry closed the door and continued down stairs. Teddy was sitting at the dining room table drinking tea, dressed in his same Auror robes as Kreacher the house elf stood on a stool cooking eggs for the two of them, wearing a large golden locket around his neck.

"Kreacher is making breakfast for Master Potter and Mr. Teddy, master," said Kreacher. Kreacher was wearing what looked like an old pillowcase with holes for his arms and legs. Kreacher had belonged to the house for decades, and now he belonged to Harry.

"Thank you, Kreacher, it looks good," replied Harry.

"Mornin', Boss," said Teddy with his usual enthusiasm.

"Morning," replied Harry unsure how he was feeling, "Are you sure you're alright to go in today? You don't have to."

"I'm fine, we should get going soon, Boss," said Teddy.

They both sat down and ate quickly before they got up and threw their cloaks over themselves and left the house. Teddy stepped out onto the landing first while Harry tapped the door and locked it. They then looked down the sidewalk, and seeing nobody, they Disapparated.

* * *

Harry and Teddy simultaneously stepped out of adjacent fireplaces in the familiar Atrium of the Ministry. They walked the familiar walk through the security gates, before Harry bought an issue of the _Daily Prophet_, and entered a lift. The lift they entered was surprisingly empty; only filled with a goblin from the Goblin Liaison Office.

Once the goblin stepped out and the grates closed. "Am I going to be in trouble?" Teddy burst, as if he had kept it bottled up sine that morning.

"What? Of course not, what's wrong, Ted?" replied Harry, surprised and confused.

"Is Kingsley going to fire me? I feel terrible . . ."

"Ted, you're not in trouble," Harry replied seriously, "These things happen all the time – er, it just hasn't happened in a long time."

Teddy looked unassured, but they had reached the second floor and they stepped off the lift. After their discussion, Teddy didn't talk about it for the rest of the day. They both entered the Auror Headquarters one after the other. There were only a few people at their cubicles, including Dawlish, seeming as though Teddy and Harry were early. Teddy went straight to his cubicle as Harry walked to the back of the room to his office. Harry entered his office with his copy of the _Daily Prophet_ tucked under his arm as he did just about every day. First he hung his cloak up, and then he moved to his bulletin board and finally took down the photo and map that he had been waiting to pull down for a long time. However, he did not smile, but thought about Roger Davies instead. He crumpled up the photo of Goyle, with the same eerie smile as he saw the previous day, and threw it into the waste basket along with the map.

Harry sat down in his chair and decided to begin on some errands he had to do as Head of the Auror office. He spent his day going up and down his floor speaking with other members of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, including a visit to Hermione's office. Around midday, Harry was relaxing in his office, finally reading the _Daily Prophet_ he had bought that morning. He had only been reading for a few minutes when a familiar slivery lynx appeared in front of him.

"I need you down in my office, Harry, it's urgent," rumbled the voice of Kingsley Shacklebolt. Harry quickly put down his paper and stood upright. He knew this couldn't be good.

Harry quickly left his office, gesturing downward to Ron, and then shrugging when Ron looked puzzled. Harry walked swiftly into the lift, and took the short ride down one floor. As the lift rattled to a halt, Harry stepped out and walked down the long, dark corridor. Harry absentmindedly looked to his left as he walked, and saw the door which led to the Department of Mysteries, and he quickly looked away as terrible memories flooded his vision. He strode to the end of the hall and knocked on the door. "Come in," issued Kingsley.

Harry entered the spacious office full of books and dark wizard detectors, and saw Kingsley sealing a letter and handing it to a large horned owl.

"Have a seat, will you," said Kingsley as he began to pour himself a glass of brandy and handed one to Harry.

"What's the matter, Kingsley? Is this about Teddy?" asked Harry as he took a sip of his drink and began to worry.

"No, no, Teddy's okay – but we have much larger matters on our hands," Kingsley began. "This is top secret, no one knows other than myself and now the Muggle prime minister, and I only want you to tell your office and those who are necessary." Harry's insides were ripping themselves apart in suspense. "There has been a massive Azkaban break. Bigger than you or I have ever seen." Harry felt a cold feeling begin in his stomach, and work its way over his scalp. "And I don't know how to break this to you, but I think our friend Mr. Gregory Goyle had something to do with this," said Kingsley as he slapped down the same mug-shot photo of Goyle that Harry had just taken off his bulletin board and tortured him for months previously.

Harry was in shock. To think he was indirectly responsible for this prison break, it was inconceivable. Harry swore, "I thought he gave up too easily. . . I just thought he was being dim as usual . . ." he muttered to himself.

"Harry, I know this is hard, being on your watch and all, but don't feel so bad. You can fix this. I was thinking you could take Teddy – it might give him some closure. Also, take another Auror with you and one of our new Magical Law Enforcement Agents. I think I know who you'll want to bring," Kingsley said, smiling for the first time during Harry's visit, "It's alright; you work well together."


	5. Preparations

Harry stepped out of the lift on the second floor. He walked, dazed, down the hall opposite his office and knocked on the door labeled "Magical Law Offices". It immediately opened, though no one visibly opened it, and he entered.

"How may I help you, Mr. Potter?" asked Elizabeth Longbottom who was sitting behind a desk ahead of Harry.

"Hi, Liz, I'm here to see Hermione, is she in?" Harry asked.

"Sure, she just finished a meeting with her supervisor; she'll be in her office."

"Thank you, Liz, how's your mother doing?" asked Harry as he walked towards a door to his right.

"She's doing great, the Leaky Cauldron is doing just fine," she replied enthusiastically.

"That's great; tell her I said 'hi'. I'll catch up with you later, thanks," replied Harry as he opened the door and walked down the hall it opened to. He stopped at the door numbered seventeen and entered.

"Harry, come on in," said Hermione, looking down at some paperwork, then when she looked up and saw Harry with a solemn expression, and said, "– Harry! What's the matter?"

"Hermione, we've got a problem." Harry explained what Kingsley had told him, "And that's why I need you. We need your expertise and your knowledge, or else I'll never figure this out."

"Okay, I'll get my coat and meet you in your department in five minutes," Hermione said with a smile as she shuffled some papers and filed them away in a cabinet behind her.

"Thanks, Hermione, you're the best," Harry said, looking relieved, as he stood up and exited her office.

Harry walked quickly down the hall and into the Auror Headquarters, where everyone seemed to be relaxing and listening to the quidditch game on Ron's portable radio. He slammed the door closed, and everyone quieted and turned towards him. The room was teeming with silence, except for the static commentary of the radio, until someone had the nerve to turn it off.

"Okay everyone, listen up!" Harry said, and Dawlish, who apparently just woke up, turned toward him along with everyone who already hadn't. "We have a crisis on our hands, bigger than many of you have seen yet. There has been a massive Azkaban break." Many people began to murmur to each other. Teddy, who had previously been sporting a pink hair-do, suddenly turned a nasty, deep green.

Harry began talking again and all murmurs ceased.

"I'm going to need everybody to work together to figure out who did this, and how they did. Field Aurors – I want you to go set up a search party a thousand kilometer radius around Azkaban. We'll see if we can round up a few. The rest of you, stay here and pick up any information you can. Ron – you're in charge. And Teddy – you're with me," ordered Harry as people all around him started to do as they were told and went to their desks. Teddy looked nervous, but Ron looked crestfallen. "Ron, listen," Harry said to Ron aside, "I want you to come too, but I need you to stay and relay any important information back to me, and if we need you, use your deluminator and come get us. We might need you."

"Yeah, no problem …" replied Ron.

Just then, Hermione walked into the Auror Headquarters, walking up to Harry, hugged Ron.

"Hermione, I need you to go to the Burrow and tell Molly and Arthur what's going on and tell them Ginny and the children are going to stay there for a while." Harry took a moment to confirm with Ron, "Wait for me there, I'm going to go to the _Daily Prophet_ to get Ginny and then go home to get a few things."

"Got it," said Hermione, she kissed Ron and Disapparated.

"See you later, mate," Harry said to Ron as he put his hand on Teddy's shoulder and Disapparated.


	6. Resistance

Harry and Teddy appeared in front of a tall, deserted-looking warehouse, with a suspicious amount of owls flying in and out around the top floors.

"A little warning next time," said Teddy, bent over, out of breath, as he straightened up and his hair slowly turned black as it did when he was working.

"Sorry …" muttered Harry as he quickly strode toward the large, double door entrance, looking determined. As he walked through the shabby warehouse doors, he stepped into a vast antechamber where many golden columns stood alongside the walls, and ahead was another set of double doors, these one made of glass with elegant golden handles. Harry, without stopping, continued on through the second set of doors, while Teddy slowed and gaped at the sight. They continued onward into an immense lobby, with golden tiles above and below, and light golden wallpaper to their sides.

As Harry walked quickly, Teddy walked slowly behind him, amazed. Harry walked up to the giant secretary's desk in the center of the room.

"Excuse me, ma'am, can you send a note up to Ginny Potter's office telling her that her husband is here?" Harry asked a young, bored-looking witch. She slowly took a yellow piece of paper out of her desk, scribbled on it and tapped it with her wand. It then folded itself into a paper airplane and it flew up one of many giant tubes behind her desk, which looked like a giant church organ.

"Thank you," Harry said as he walked towards the golden doors of the elevator on the right of the room. "Come on, Ted!" Harry said sternly as Teddy stopped examining the wallpaper and ran into the elevator next to Harry and he punched the number four. The elevator seemed to move slowly compared to Harry's sense of urgency.

Finally the elevator stopped at the fourth floor and Harry stepped out into the rather small but crowded room full of reporters typing on typewriters and running through the room as he walked toward the flaming red hair he knew to be Ginny's cubicle. Harry thought the _Daily Prophet_ seemed to be busy that day as he wove through the crowded room. As he approached, Ginny turned around and exclaimed, "Harry! I just got your message – have you heard? Azkaban – there's been a break from Azkaban!"

Harry's heart fell and he stopped dead in his tracks. "You know?" Teddy exclaimed, looking confused.

"Of course we know, we received an anonymous owl not too long ago – Harry, everyone is in a panic. There hasn't been anything like this in over fifteen years! Most of these people have never seen this! What are we going to do?"

"First of all, we're going home to get some stuff, then you and Lily are going to stay at the Burrow," Harry said as Ginny stood up.

"But Harry, I want to come with you and help! You know I am more than capable, Harry," Ginny retorted as she stepped closer.

"Ginny, this is Ministry business, you know you can't come. Ginny, we need you to stay with Lily and Hugo while we're away, I have no clue how long I'll be gone. Ginny, please." Harry stepped closer, so that only inches separated them.

Ginny looked disappointed. "Are you sure you'll be fine?" she said in almost a whisper.

"I'm sure," Harry replied, equally quiet.

* * *

Harry and Ginny appeared on the sidewalk across from their front door, with Teddy standing behind them.

"Come on, we're just going to get some clothes and essentials, then go to the Burrow," Harry said to Teddy as he turned around and then walked up the steps to the door and tapped it with his wand.

"Got it, Boss," Teddy replied as Harry opened the door and let Ginny and Teddy walk in. Harry walked in after and closed the door. They all walked upstairs, one after the other. Harry and Ginny stopped on the third floor as Teddy walked on up to the fourth floor. Ginny opened the door and walked in.

"How long do you think we'll be staying at Mum and Dad's, Harry?" asked Ginny as she moved to their dresser and began to pull out clothes.

"I dunno, honey. let's just get enough for the week," replied Harry. Just then, Kreacher appeared with a _crack! _beside Harry.

"Kreacher noticed Master came home," Kreacher began, in his deep, cracked voice, "Does Master require Kreacher's services?"

"No, thank you, Kreacher, but actually I would like you to go to Hogwarts for a while; we won't be here for some time," Harry replied as he opened a traveling bag for Ginny to put some clothes into it.

"Is Master and his family going on holiday?" Kreacher asked, confused.

"No, – er – we're just going to be gone. Don't ask questions, Kreacher, just please go help out in the kitchens for a while."

"Of course, Master, it is Kreacher's duty to serve Mr. Potter, which Kreacher does happily," the house elf said as he bowed so low his nose was inches from the ground and the locket around his neck did clonk on the floor boards, just before he Disapparated with a _crack!_

Harry and Ginny continued, until Ginny said finally, "That should be everything," as they exited their bathroom and walked out their bedroom door. They walked down the stairs to find Teddy already standing there, with two bags at his feet.

"I packed for Lily as well," Teddy said as he picked up the smaller bag. "You sure you got everything?" he asked.

"Did you pack Lily's bunny? She won't sleep without it, Ted," Ginny said, and once seeing his blank expression, she laughed. "Don't worry, Ted, I'll get it," she said as she ran back up the stairs, leaving Harry and Teddy in the entrance hall.

Harry and Teddy stood there for a minute, silent, and then Teddy strode towards the door and opened it. At that moment, they both heard a tremendous boom, and Harry and Teddy were both blown out the door.

"Ginny!" shouted Harry, lying on the sidewalk, looking up at his home which was on fire, as pain traveled from the back of his head to his tail bone, from where he landed and hit his head. Harry looked next to him, and Teddy was gone. Dread filled Harry as his mind raced; had it been a mistake to have brought his wife and his godson to his home? Was he a worse godfather than Sirius had been to him? Was Harry indeed the target of something larger? Harry's insides curled, were the children safe? All this lasted a moment. Harry felt cold, and it had nothing to do with the cool cement he was sitting on.

A split second later, Teddy Lupin appeared, covered in soot, supporting a coughing Ginny Potter with her arm around his shoulder. "Disapparated – _cough_ – as soon as I realized – cough –" Teddy said, barely able to speak.

Harry hurried forward to take Ginny, and Teddy ran up the steps to the still swinging door and grabbed the bags from the floor. Harry heard sirens, "Fire engines are coming – we've got to go," he said to Teddy.

"I can support myself, Harry," Ginny said confidently as she tried to stand up, but then collapsed.

"I've got you," he said as he and Teddy Disapparated.

* * *

They appeared outside the Burrow. Teddy ran ahead to open the door for Harry and Ginny. As they walked in, Hermione exclaimed as she stood up from the dining room table, "Harry! What happened? Is she alright?"

"We're fine, just get Molly for us, please," said Teddy as Harry helped Ginny down onto the sofa, and Teddy dropped the bags on the ground and slumped into the sagging armchair near the sofa.

"Oh my – what happened, Harry?" asked Mrs. Weasley as she entered the sitting room.

"We went home to get a few things, and the house was attacked, I'm guessing. Teddy saved Ginny just in time, then we Disapparated."

"She's fine, she'll just need some rest," said Molly as she bent over Ginny.

"I'm fine, Mum; where're the kids? I don't want them to see me like this," said Ginny as she pushed herself to a sitting position while she jerked her hand to her forehead with sudden pain.

"They're in the back playing with Arthur – bubbles! He's playing with bubbles, that old man!" exclaimed Molly, "Hugo's loving it, but Lily seems uninterested."

"Hugo is interested in Muggle items," mused Hermione.

"Well, we should get going, Boss," said Teddy as he stood up from the chair.

"Please get some rest, honey," Harry said as he bent down and kissed her on her head.

"I will," replied Ginny as she lay back down on the sofa.

"Take care of yourself, dear," said Molly and she kissed him and Teddy on the cheek and hugged Hermione, then they walked out the front door.

"Where next, Boss?" asked Teddy. "What do you think we should do now?"

"Well, Kingsley said he suspected Goyle, so I think we should pay his old friend a visit."


	7. St Mungo's

Harry, Hermione, and Teddy appeared in front of the familiar red-bricked department store that Harry had visited now eight times. It was nearing dusk, and the street was empty. Harry walked up to the old female mannequin and said, "Here on Auror business, to see Healer Malfoy." The mannequin gave a curt nod and beckoned them forward with a jointed finger. Harry, Hermione, and Teddy walked straight through the glass barrier, one after the other.

They appeared in the usual crowded reception room full of waiting patients. Harry wove through the crowd of oddly disfigured witches and wizards to the window in the front where the same blonde witch as when Harry first visited St. Mungo's sat.

"How can I help you?" said the old witch in a monotone.

"I'm looking for Healer Malfoy – is he in today?" Harry asked. "Auror business," he added as he flashed his badge.

"Yes, came in a few hours ago, he'll be on the fourth floor today – working with the long-term patients," replied the blonde witch.

"Thank you, ma'am," replied Harry. He, Hermione, and Teddy walked through a crowd of lime-green clad healers on their way up four flights of stairs. When they exited, they only walked down the hall a bit until they caught sight of Draco exiting a room labeled "Long-term Residence" and talking to a nurse dressed in white, following him with a clipboard.

"… and we must find a new lock for that door, Lockhart keeps escaping and wandering off – Potter – Weasley – what a pleasant surprise!," Malfoy exclaimed as he looked up from his own clipboard and stopped walking, seeing the three Ministry workers in their robes. "Eleanor, could you go down to the first floor and bandage up Mr. Agnes – his wife seems to have bitten him again," he said to the nurse, and she hurried past him and down the stairs.

"So, what do I owe the pleasure of the Head of the Auror Office and such a high-ranking Magical Lawyer, Mr. Potter?" Draco asked Harry.

"We're here on Ministry business; we've got some questions for you, Draco," said Hermione.

"What sort of questions?" asked Malfoy.

"Has Goyle visited you recently? Or been in contact with you at all?" Harry asked bluntly.

Draco looked dumbfounded, "Yeah – yes, Goyle came by a few weeks ago, asking for help – but I wouldn't hear it! I threw him out after that!"

"Okay …" began Harry, "Did he say anything else? Maybe about his plans?"

"No … nothing more than …" Draco trailed off. "wait. There was more. I received an owl shortly after, saying 'If you change your mind, meet us in Godric's Hollow', signed 'KOL'. I was never able to figure out what it meant until now …" Draco looked solemn.

"'KOL' … 'KOL?' …" Harry muttered to himself. "Not again …"

"Well, thank you for your time, Draco" said Hermione, seeing that Harry was dazed, "We'll look into this some more, and if we need to ask any more questions, we'll be back."

This brought Malfoy back, "Oh – sure – I'll be glad to help."

* * *

"'KOL'?" repeated Ron again, "How are we going to figure this one out?" Ron said as he played with his deluminator, turning the lights on and off in Harry's office. Harry and Hermione were used to this by now.

They were back at the Auror's Headquarters, trying to figure out what the initials meant. It was late now.

"Last time we just stumbled upon it; should we continue with the investigation and hope we stumble upon it?" asked Harry hopefully.

"Am I missing something? What is this 'last time' you're talking about?" Teddy asked out of the blue.

"No, Harry," Hermione replied, the lights clicking off and everyone ignoring Teddy. "This is our only lead, so I think we'll just have to go to Godric's Hollow and find out."

Harry's mind was still full of questions. Why Godric's Hollow? Was there a reason that this meeting place was in his birth town? Harry decided he would just have to find out.

"Well, I say we call it a night and head home," said Ron, putting the deluminator away in his pocket. "then we can decide our next move."

They all nodded in agreement, and exited Harry's office.

* * *

The four of them appeared in the garden of the Burrow.

"Oh heavens, it's you lot," exclaimed Mrs. Weasley, who had been bent over in the Garden and had apparently just been startled. "You're just in time for supper. Teddy, should I put out another plate for you?"

"No, Mol; thanks, but I was planning on spending the evening with my Gran," said Teddy. "I'll see you here in the morning, Boss," he said to Harry.

"Tell Andromeda I said 'hello', will you?" asked Harry. Teddy nodded in acknowledgment and he walked out of the garden and Disapparated.

"Well, dinner's ready, come on in," Mrs. Weasley said. Harry and the others walked up the steps, past the old Wellington boots and the rusty cauldrons, into the Burrow, where an extra-long table was full of food. Everyone was already around the table finishing supper, eating dessert; Arthur at the head with his askew glasses and his balding hair, an empty seat next to him and Ginny in the seat adjacent, then Lily beside her; beside Mr. Weasley was Hugo, then three empty seats.

"Daddy! Daddy!" Lily cried as she jumped off her chair and ran up to Harry and hugged him, as Hugo did the same to Hermione, then Ron. "How was work today, Daddy?" asked Lily.

"Busy, honey; I'm going to be having a lot of work soon," said Harry. "Why don't we eat?" he said, picking up Lily and putting her back in her chair, and taking his seat next to Arthur.

They all ate together rather quietly, only perturbed by Lily and Hugo recounting their day. Mrs. Weasley gave Harry second helpings of her delicious cooking, as she had done since he was twelve. Harry, Hermione, and Ron finished off with Lily and Harry's favorite, treacle fudge.

"Hugo, why don't you and Lily go upstairs and play," said Hermione when they had finished eating. Hugo and Lily both jumped down and chased each other up the zigzagging stairs of the Burrow.

"We need to talk about our plans for tomorrow," said Hermione once the children were out of earshot.

"Are we going to go after this 'KOL' guy?" asked Ron.

"I think we have to," replied Harry.

"Wait, what happened today boys?" asked Mrs. Weasley. Ginny too looked attentive.

"What's the matter, Harry?" Ginny asked.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione explained their day to the other three.

"… and then Malfoy said it was signed by someone named 'KOL'," finished Ron.

"This sounds very serious, Harry," began Mr. Weasley, leaning back in his chair, "especially because of what happened this afternoon," he said as he looked toward Ginny, "I sure hope you make the right decision and know what you're doing."

"Do you think you are going to go after this person?" asked Ginny.

"I think I have to, and I know you want to come, but you can't, hon," Harry replied.

"I thought so …" she said quietly as she leaned her head on his shoulder, and he kissed her head. Ron placed his hand over Hermione's.

"Well, you kids should go on up to bed if you're leaving in the morning," said Mrs. Weasley as she stood up.

"Merlin's beard, Mum, we're not 'kids'" said Ron as he got up with Hermione. Everyone laughed. Harry and Ginny stood up too and followed Ron and Hermione up the stairs, leaving Molly and Arthur at the dining table. As Harry walked up, he saw Molly turn on their old wireless.

"Why don't you go on and get ready for bed," said Harry to Ginny on the first floor landing in front of Ginny's old bedroom where she and Harry usually slept when they stayed at the Burrow. "I'll go take care of the kids."

She nodded in agreement as she opened the door and went inside. Harry followed Ron and Hermione to the second floor where Harry said, "I was going to read Lily a bed-time story – God knows she can't sleep without it – I can take care of Hugo too."

"Really? That'd be nice, Harry, thanks," replied Hermione, then Ron opened the door on the right and they entered Percy's old bedroom, while Harry entered the one across from it.

Lily and Hugo were playing with a set of Self-Shuffling playing cards by the light of the lamp on the bed-side table. Fred and George's room didn't smell of gunpowder anymore, but of the perfume of the flowers in the vase on the windowsill.

"Hi, Uncle Harry. Me and Lily just started this game, do you want to play?" asked Hugo, looking up at him from the ground.

"No thank you, Hugo," Harry chuckled, "but you kids should go to bed."

The two children didn't complain, but climbed into the two twin beds that once belonged to Fred and George Weasley.

"Alright," said Harry when the kids were settled and he pulled the Weasley's copy of _The Tales of Beedle the Bard _of the bed-side table. "What story do you want to hear tonight?"

"Hopping Pot! Hopping Pot!" Hugo cried excitedly.

"No, Hugo! You always want to hear that one," said Lily rolling her eyes, "Read the "Fountain of Fair Fortune", Daddy."

Hugo looked satisfied as he pretended to pull out a sword and slashed the air, so Harry read them Lily's personal favorite.

"_… the three witches and the knight set off down the hill together, arm in arm, and all four led long and happy lives, and none of them ever knew or suspected that the Fountain's waters carried no enchantment at all_,"1 Harry finished. He looked up and saw that both the children were fast asleep, so he leaned forward and turned out their lamp, kissed Lily on the head, and left the room.

Harry crept down the stairs. As he reached the first floor, he could hear the faint sound of "Cauldron Full of Hot Love" playing downstairs and the sound of the light shuffling of shoes on the floor that sounded like Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were slowly dancing.

Harry slowly opened the door to Ginny's old room and walked in. Ginny was propped up against pillows with a single lamp on her bedside table illuminating her copy of _Quidditch Quarterly, _which she was reading.

"How were they?" she asked as she looked up from her book.

"Fine. They were asleep by the time they reached the fountain," replied Harry as he climbed into bed next to her.

Ginny smiled, "That is her favorite." Her smile faded, "Are you sure you won't need me tomorrow?"

"Ginny, we'll be fine," Harry said as he kissed her on the forehead, "We know what we're doing," and he settled into bed. Ginny still looked worried, but turned off the lamp and went to sleep.


	8. Game Time

Harry awoke as soon as dawn broke. Ginny was still asleep, her hair sprawled over her pillow. Harry gently got out of bed and dressed. He quietly left the room and closed the door as he saw Ginny roll over. Harry crept downstairs and found Hermione in the kitchen making eggs and sausage, tea already on the table.

"Good morning, Harry," she said cordially.

"Morning," he replied with a yawn as he sat down and poured himself tea. Just then Ron came down stairs, wearing the same purple Auror robes as Harry.

"Do I smell sausage?" he asked as he entered the room.

"Is that all you think about, Ron? Food?" said Hermione.

"That and you," he said as he hugged her from behind. "not in that order though." Hermione laughed and blushed.

They heard a _crack_ outside the house. Harry stood up and walked to the door and let in Teddy, whose hair was icy white. Harry closed the door and handed him a cup of tea; Teddy immediately took a gulp and drained the cup as his hair turned a warmer golden blonde.

"Dunno why my gran had to move all the way up to Aberdeen; it's so bloody cold up there!" said Teddy as he drained another cup poured by Harry.

Hermione served breakfast and they all sat down to eat.

"So what's the plan, Boss?" Teddy asked Harry as he ate his sausages.

We'll go up to Godric's Hollow and take a look around," Harry replied. "Maybe visit our contact up there."

"You reckon we should bring the invisibility cloak, Harry?" asked Ron quietly.

"Er, um," Harry began, looking down at his plate awkwardly, "I kinda gave it to Albus. You know, the whole passing-it-from-father-to-son-thing," Harry said as Ron and Hermione gave him shocked looks.

"Don't you think we could have had better use of it, Harry?" exclaimed Hermione, still quietly. "Albus is eleven years old, and you're an Auror!"

"Hermione, it was my decision. I gave it to him for his last birthday, secretly. Just drop it."

They all ate awkwardly for a few moments as Teddy looked between them all, confused.

"So, Boss, you had an invisibility cloak? Did it work well?" asked Teddy, cutting the tension.

Harry was unsure whether to tell Teddy that it was the cloak of invisibility Harry himself had read to Teddy about when he was younger, so after a quick glance at Ron and Hermione, he said, "Yeah, it worked alright."

They all had eaten breakfast and were ready to leave. Ginny had come down to say goodbye and was sitting at the dining room table, looking equally envious and worrisome, wishing she could also go on an adventure and worried that something may happen to them. Each of them walked out the door, leaving Harry as he looked back at Ginny and felt the familiar warm feeling he felt when she smiled at him and waved. The four of them were standing in the garden, then a second later, they Disapparated.

* * *

The four of them appeared in an abandoned alley of Godric's Hollow, their cloaks flapping around their ankles as they walked towards the street, Harry leading. The street was already bustling with people, walking amongst the shops with the usual Saturday activity. Not many people noticed the four odd people dressed in purple and traveling cloaks, weaving through the crowd, and those who did thought nothing of it. Harry and the others walked off the main road and onto a side street with far less people.

"I'm thinking we should visit Dean and see if he's seen anything suspicious lately," said Hermione, moving beside Harry.

"Who's Dean?" inquired Teddy.

"An old friend of Harry and mine; we shared the same dormitory when we were at Hogwarts," said Ron as he walked beside Teddy. "Now he's our contact for anything going on here in Godric's Hollow."

They walked on down the street, and then down another until they found the small church with the stained glass windows where Harry's parents were buried. Harry acknowledged it only for a second or two, and then he walked past towards the old war memorial.

"It's this way," Harry called back, now solely in the lead again, walking towards the obelisk. Suddenly it changed into the statue of three people; a man, a woman, and an infant.

"Boss, is that …?" Teddy began, but trailed off as he passed the statue and stared, stunned. The others kept walking past and down another side street.

Ron took the lead with Harry this time, and stopped in front of a good-sized, cozy, two-story home. "This is it," said Ron as he opened the small wooden gate, and walked up the path to the door with the others following.

Ron knocked on the door, and a few seconds later, Katie Bell answered the door.

"Ron! Harry, Hermione! What a pleasant surprise! Come in, come in," Katie said as she hugged each one of them as they walked in, "And you must be Teddy Lupin. I've heard so much about you. Dean told me that you were the little boy at Harry and Ginny's wedding, I can see you're all grown up now though." Katie smothered Teddy awkwardly as she hugged him too. Teddy looked at Harry, half scared, half unbelieving.

"Katie, is Dean here?" Harry asked as she closed the door behind them.

"Of course he is. he's upstairs right now," she replied.

"Can we see him?" Hermione asked.

"Certainly, follow me," Katie said, smiling, as she took all their cloaks and put them in a closet and walked up the old wooden stairs. As they reached the second floor, they turned right down a hall towards the open door at the end. They could hear the excited talking of Dean and Seamus.

Dean and Seamus were sitting alongside on a twin bed, both looking at a brochure. The room was spacious with a large window with bright orange and red curtains which made the Gryffindors in the room to feel right at home. "Seamus! I didn't expect you!" roared Ron as he embraced Seamus in a bro-hug, then Dean. Harry, smiling, shook hands with them both after. "So what's up? What are you doing here?" Ron asked Seamus after their greetings.

"Katie didn't tell you?" asked Dean. "We're engaged! Seamus and I are discussing the bachelor party. You two are invited of course," Dean added. Ron gave Dean a clap on the back and another roar of excitement, as Hermione turned around and hugged Katie enthusiastically.

"Dean, mate, congratulations, that's awesome," began Harry. "but we're not here for a social call." Everyone was quiet now. "Is there somewhere we can talk privately?"

"Sure, Harry, out here should be fine," Dean replied as he stood up and led them out of the room, and into the room adjacent. This room seemed more serious; it contained a single window and a single desk. There was an owl cage on a table in the corner.

"What do you need?" asked Dean as he closed the door and sat in the chair.

"Sorry for the cloak-and-dagger, I didn't want the news to spread too quickly," Harry said. "There has been an Azkaban break, and we have reason to suspect someone behind it is here in Godric's Hollow." Dean let out a lung-full of air in an almost whistle. "Perhaps have you seen anything unusual around?"

"I haven't been around much lately, but as a matter of fact, I think Katie might have," said Dean. "She told me just last week that she saw lights on in Bathilda's home while out for a walk. I've seen it a few times after as well. Now that you've come, it seems very suspicious."

"Do you have any idea who or what it may be?" Hermione asked.

"No, not really; but I saw a large figure in the door way once – only for a second though. Could have sworn it looked like Goyle."

This is what Harry needed. He shared a glance with Hermione and said, "Thanks Dean, but we have to go now; maybe when this is all over Ron and I will be at your party. We'll be looking forward to it."

"No problem, Harry. you guys do what you have to do."

Teddy opened the door and they all exited the room. Dean turned and went back into the bedroom with Seamus as Katie walked out. "Will you stay for dinner after you're done working?" she asked.

"We would love to, Katie, but realistically, no; we will if we can," replied Hermione.

"Oh, well drop in if you can," she said as she turned around and walked back into the room.

As the door closed, Teddy said, "What do you think we should do, Boss?"

"I reckon we bash our way in there and see what we got," said Ron as he pounded his fist as they walked toward the door.

"I hate to agree with Ron's vulgar idea," said Hermione shooting a glance at Ron, "but I think he's right. We should investigate," she said pausing before opening the closet and grabbed their cloaks.

"Alright! So we bash heads, right?" said Ron excitedly as he high-fived Teddy and walked out the door. The sun had begun to set. It had begun to drizzle.

Harry stepped outside into the rain, and he threw his hood over his head. "Yes, we'll go see what we find,"


	9. KOL

The four of them walked through the rain past several houses, until they found the home of Bathilda Bagshot, preserved in her memory. "Boss," Teddy said quietly as he pointed to the second floor, where Harry saw the light flickering of a candle in the rain-streaked window. Harry knew this was his moment, he would right this wrong.

Harry walked forward quietly through the rain, and unlatched the gate and walked down the slippery stone path bordered by the overgrown garden. He pulled out his wand as the others behind him did the same. As he reached the door, he and Teddy stood on either side of the door. Harry pointed his wand at the knob and unlocked it. With a click, he opened the door and entered the room, Ron following, and then Hermione, tailed by Teddy. The room was pitch black as Teddy closed the door. Hermione lit her wand, as did the others. Harry and Ron took the lead, weaving through the rubbish, Hermione and Teddy following from the rear. Harry found a half-eaten sandwich on a chair. Whoever was hiding here knew they were there too.

Harry turned to tell Hermione this, when he felt his wand plucked out of his hand. He saw that the others were also disarmed, and as he spun around to see his attacker, the last thing he saw before the flash of red light were the figures of four men, their wands pointed at them from the darkness. Then, there was nothing.

* * *

_Drip. Drip. Drip_. Harry came to. The first thing he noticed was the room he was in. The room was not lit, so Harry saw very little. The room was very damp and cold and made of stone, and the walls were covered with moss. He had been awakened by a constant noise. Then, Harry noticed the persistent sound of water dripping from the ceiling. _Drip. Drip. Drip_. Relentless. When Harry looked up he could tell that the ceiling was very high, but he could not see the top. Finally he noticed that he was tied to a chair, his arms behind him. He saw that the others were as well. Teddy was across from him, Ron to his right, and Hermione across from Ron. They were set in a large square, with each of them on a cornerA1. Ron was the only other conscience. Harry realized they were all gagged – except Harry.

Just then, a light shone from above, and a rope fell onto the floor with a light _thunk_ into the center of them. From the tiny opening in the ceiling, came a man. The man was stocky, but unusually thin. Harry recognized him as Mulciber – who was supposed to be in Azkaban from the years after the fall of Voldemort. Next came down a tall blonde man, who also seemed rather thin; Harry knew him as Avery – who Harry himself had put away around the same time as Mulciber. Next, Goyle slid down, looking at Harry with the same uncanny smile. Then, Blaise Zabini slid down, who had been an accomplice to Goyle about a year before, but had been caught. These men walked in between each of their prisoners. Harry noticed that Teddy was awake, and Hermione too had awoken.

Finally, a man slid down the rope, landing in the middle of them, inside the spot light cast from the opening above. He was dressed all in black, his shirt buttoned to his neck. He was rather pale with dark eyes and he had curly black hair which tumbled over his shoulders. He remained in the middle, and after making a full rotation inspecting his captives, he stopped in front of Harry, staring. Harry knew he was their leader, the one behind all this. Then, Harry realized the man was not much older than him – perhaps younger even – but the bags under his eyes made him look as if he had lived many lifetimes.

He addressed them all, him arms extended, slowly turning, "The great Harry Potter. The boy who lived. Caught like a mouse in a trap. How unfortunate." His voice was chilling, as if his words were spikes of ice, thrust into their stomachs. "As you know, these men should not be here. But thanks to you, they are," Goyle chuckled as the man continued, "But do not worry, for you have started an event which will benefit every soul on this planet. Allow me to explain. Why don't we start at the beginning?" he addressed Harry directly at this, "Coincidentally your beginning as well."

"Roughly three and a half decades ago, your wizarding world was involved in a war, correct? I think you know which one I am talking about, Mr. Potter, but perhaps not you, Mr. Lupin?" He addressed Teddy, "The Dark Lord was at power then, but was thought to be destroyed by you, Mr. Potter. Of course we know this was not the case, however, this is where our story begins. My parents were followers of Lord Voldemort, ardent followers; I was born during this time, and named after my great-great-great-great-grandfather, Caelum Ophiuchus the Great. They hid me to keep me safe; however, my parents were caught at that time and were sent to Azkaban. Now, my parents had prepared for this, so my uncle sent me to be raised in an orphanage, in Bulgaria.

"Yes Bulgaria, Mr. Weasley," he said at Ron's looks of confusion. He continued, "I went by Kalem, and I was raised there, with my uncle sacrificing everything to watch over me; however, he never approached me until my eleventh birthday. Then he told me everything there was to know about my parents and everything they fought for. I was sent to Durmstrang, and I excelled." Harry could see Hermione's eyes scanning the man – Kalem – her mind hard at work.

"Now there is a wall at Durmstrang, perhaps you know of it? This wall contains a carving by Gellert Grindelwald. Many people at Durmstrang thought this was his own dark symbol, similar to the Dark Lord's Dark Mark, and many people hated him for it. However, I studied the symbol and I know its true meaning. I know of the Deathly Hallows." Harry knew this wall too; Victor Krum told him about it almost twenty years ago, and Harry now knew that his situation – the situation of the wizarding world – was graver than he previously expected.

Kalem continued, his voice rising, until soon he was yelling, "I didn't stop there; I also studied Gindelwald's ideas, his plans. We as wizards are superior! We possess the natural right to rule those beneath us. But not exterminate. This is where the Dark Lord went wrong. Muggles must serve us greater beings! 'For the greater good!'

"With the power of the Hallows, I will pull down the International Statute of Secrecy like a curtain, and the Muggles will worship us. As they should," he spat.

"Your idea is crazy! Mad! The International Statute of Secrecy is bound together with ancient and powerful magic, you'd be crazy to try and bring it down!" Harry bellowed as he plucked up the courage to speak out.

"No. My idea is brilliant, revolutionary! I will chisel my way into this world as the almighty ruler, and the Master of Death!" his voice rang though the stone cell, contempt dripping from his voice, a slight sense of insanity peeking out.

"Mulciber – Avery – up," he ordered the two Death Eaters, and the elder two grabbed the rope as Kalem waved his wand and it pulled them up. As they reached the top, the rope fell back down and he grabbed the rope himself and commanded, "Goyle – Blaise – take care of them."


	10. Escape or Die

For a moment the room was pitch dark, then Blaise lit the lamps along the side of the cell with his wand, which cast a faint glow in the gloom.

"Do you really think you imbeciles can take us four? Three Aurors?" Hermione's voice called out in the half-light. Blaise and Goyle looked at each other in disbelief, and began walking towards her, with her gag hanging loosely around her neck. She continued talking, "Oh, you two look tough enough, sure, but are you really?" Blaise and Goyle looked angrier with each step they took towards her. "I mean, yeah, you and Crabbe made a good pair, but alone you're just a thug. And Zabini – Pansy chose Malfoy over you – how did that make you feel?"

The two of them were fuming. "You're going to regret that, Mudblood," said Blaise as he pointed his wand at her. They were now inches away.

Then from their left, they heard Hermione say, "Are you sure about that?"

Confused, the men jerked their heads their left and saw Hermione sitting there, her gag loose as well. Suddenly, with a roar from behind, Ron stood up – still tied to his chair – and charge the two of them, with just enough time to see Teddy transform from Hermione back into his usual self.

The two men were rammed into the opposite wall behind Hermione, and Goyle, on the bottom, was knocked out. Ron had fallen sideways on his chair and couldn't get up.

Harry, with sudden initiative and adrenaline, stood up and fell onto his back, shattering the chair he was tied to. Harry ran towards Blaise, who was standing over Ron, his foot pinning him down and his wand raised. Hermione was still tied and she was resisting against the bonds holding her. Blaise also saw this and turned his wand from Ron to Hermione. Ron and Harry's eyes both widened, Ron struggled as Harry dove for Blaise. As Harry was in mid-air, Blaise shot two spells, _"Impedimenta!"_ at Harry which caused him to freeze in mid-air, then a spell Harry did not understandat Hermione.

Below Hermione, a trap door appeared out of the stone, and with a scream from both Ron and Hermione, Hermione and Harry simultaneously fell; Harry hit the floor while Hermione kept falling through the hole, then it sealed itself.

Harry looked over at Blaise and Ron just in time to see Teddy punch Blaise in the face and knock him out cold. Teddy bent over Blaise and Goyle and took their wands, then pointed one at Ron's back and said, "Relashio." The rope untied itself and Ron crawled to the spot where Hermione had fallen and tried to budge the stone floor. Teddy then tied up Blaise and Goyle with a spell.

Harry stood up warily, holding his ribs and took the wand Teddy offered him and said to Ron, "Ron, let me try," Ron immediately moved from the spot and Harry said, _"Diffindo,"_ which with several cracks revealed the seams of the previous trap door, then _"Wingardium Leviosa,"_ and he lifted the slab. It revealed a small area directly underneath, just big enough for a person. But no Hermione.

Ron began to sob and pounded his fist on the stone floor. Harry bent down onto his knee and said to Ron, "Mate, they would have wanted to capture her, not kill her. This must have been some sort of dark magic," Harry said as he pointed to the hole, "This Kalem is smart, he had to have a back-up plan – this must have been it. We'll get her back." Ron pulled himself together and stood up.

"How're we going to get out of here, Boss?" Teddy asked.

"Fly," Harry said as he pointed Blaise's wand at Ron's intact chair, still lying on its side and transfigured it into a broom. Teddy repaired Harry's and his own chair while Harry transfigured them. "They're no racing brooms, but they'll work," he said. The three of them threw their legs over the brooms, Harry setting fire to the ropes, leaving Goyle and Blaise, and kicked off the ground, flying towards the spot where Harry knew there was an opening. As they neared the top, Harry pointed the wand he had taken at the spot and yelled, _"Defodio!" _blasting open the trap door at the top, and flying through it, landing on the floor of what seemed to be the basement of Bathilda's home.

_"Homenum Revelio,"_ said Ron, borrowing the wand Teddy took and waving it upward. Nothing happened. "Thought it'd be something Hermione would do …" and he gave Teddy the wand back.

Harry, convinced no one was in the house, lit his wand and walked up the stairs. The stairs led to the main room – the room they had been ambushed in. Harry had no way of telling how long they had been down there, but as he looked out the window, he saw faint rays of light across the sky. The sun was about to rise. Harry found their four wands on a table, simply left. Disbelieving their luck, he grabbed for his phoenix feather wand and felt the welcoming warmth as it was returned to its master. Harry also handed Teddy his wand and Ron his and Hermione's, "You can give it to her when we find her," he said, and Ron gave a faint nod of agreement.

Harry walked out the door onto the wet pavement and out onto the street.

"What now, Boss? The Ministry?" Teddy asked.

"Dean and Katie's," Harry said unexpectedly with looks of confusion from the other two. "We can't risk endangering the others at the Burrow; I'll send a message to Ginny and Kingsley after we sleep, then we're going to visit your Gran, Teddy. We need to know exactly who we're up against."


	11. Who is KOL?

The three of them walked through the streets of Godric's Hollow until they reached Dean's house again. Exhausted, Harry staggered to the door and knocked rather loudly. After a few moments Dean answered the door, looking weary. "Harry? What are you doing here? Come in, come in. It's pretty early, what are you still doing here?" he asked, looking rather confused.

"I'm sorry, Dean, we were just wondering if we could crash here for a bit? We've been out all night, and we're exhausted," Harry said as he stepped over the threshold.

"Sure, we've got room in here on the couch –"

"Teddy will take the couch; Ron and I will sleep on the floor," Harry said immediately.

Katie walked downstairs with some blankets, "I heard you from upstairs and brought down some blankets for you – where's Hermione?" Katie asked as she saw only the three of them. Harry was unsure how to respond; he did not want to tell her that Hermione was taken.

"She – er – went on ahead of us," Harry replied as he took the blankets from Katie, "We won't be here long, just the day."

"Okay, well just take the sitting room, we'll have lunch ready for you when you all wake up," Katie said.

"Thank you, Katie – Dean, can I use an owl? I need to send a message," Harry asked.

"Sure, Harry, use my office – Norman should be up there now," Dean replied.

"Thanks," Harry said as Dean and Katie walked up the stairs. "I'm going to send Kingsley and Ginny a message, you two go on to sleep," he said. Teddy flopped onto the sofa, exhausted, and Ron lied down on the carpet. Harry began to also walk up the stairs, and just as Katie and Dean entered the room on the right and Harry walked into the one across. The room was the same as yesterday, except the cage contained a large horned owl. Harry sat down at the desk and pulled out parchment and a quill from within. He dipped the quill in the inkwell on the desk and started on his letter to Ginny.

_Dear Ginny,_

_ Work has taken a turn and we're going to be gone for longer than we thought. Don't worry about us, and please don't reply. Tell Lily I miss her, and if you send Albus and James an owl tell them the same. Talk to Kingsley._

_-Harry_

Harry thought this was all he should put in a letter to her, and if she wanted to know more, she could talk to Kingsley. Harry put this parchment aside, and pulled the next one in front of him.

_K,_

_ Work in hometown bad. Otter taken, Terrier and wolf with stag. Do not send help. GG not behind it. We're looking into it. Unsure when coming back. Going north. _

_ -oZo_

Harry wrote in the code he and Kingsley created together. He decided this was enough to tell him. Harry took the two letters and sealed them. He walked over to the sleeping owl and opened the cage. At the noise, the owl woke, and Harry tied the letter labeled 'Ginny' and tied the other. "First go to the Ministry, then go to the Burrow," Harry told the owl, and it gave a quick 'hoot' and flew out the open window.

* * *

Harry awoke on the floor of Dean's sitting room, sleeping next to a couch on which Teddy was sleeping, and Ron was lying on his side away from Harry a little ways away. Harry lay for a moment, thinking, until he threw off the maroon blanket and stood up.

"I'm awake," Ron said as Harry walked towards him. "I couldn't sleep."

Harry walked away and into the kitchen, where he found Katie cooking, and Dean and Seamus sitting at the table.

"Good afternoon, Harry. Lunch will be ready soon," said Katie looking back at him from the stove.

"Katie, I don't mean to crash and run, but we really should get going; I don't want to endanger you guys any more than we have already," Harry replied. Ron came in behind him.

"Are you sure?" Dean asked. "We don't mind, I really insist –"

"We have important things to deal with, okay?" Ron interrupted. He looked almost wild, a look Harry had only saw when Ron wore the golden locket all those years ago.

"What's up with all the commotion, Boss?" Teddy asked groggily as he entered the room.

"We're leaving, that's what!" Ron said as he stormed past Teddy and Harry.

"Sorry about Ron. He's – er – upset," Harry apologized.

"Don't worry about it, Harry, it's fine," Katie said, walking to the table and stood behind Dean, her hands on his shoulders. Harry gave a thankful nod and went back into the sitting room where he found Ron folding their blankets rather violently.

"Ready?" Ron asked as he threw the blankets down onto the sofa.

"Yes, Ron," Harry replied softly, looking at his best friend, not sure what to think of him. _Was he right to be this angry?_ Harry thought as he turned and walked into the entrance hall where Teddy was getting their cloaks from the closet. Harry put himself in Ron's shoes. He would do anything to rescue Ginny, he decided. Teddy knocked over a few umbrellas as he pulled the three cloaks out of the depths of the closet, catching the umbrellas as he tried to shove them back in. Harry smirked and decided Ron's anger was really determination. Ron entered the entrance hall just as Teddy slammed the closet door closed. Without pause, Ron took his cloak from Teddy and walked out the door.

"You're welcome …" Teddy mumbled as he handed Harry his and they both walked out the door. The sun was still high in the sky and Ron was standing in the middle of the path waiting for them, his cloak already on. Harry threw his cloak over himself and walked forward to stand next to Ron.

"Listen, Harry, I'm sorry about how I was. I'm just worried and nervous," Ron said guiltily.

"It's okay, mate, I'd feel the same," Harry replied.

"Why are you two so tense?" Teddy asked as he walked between them, putting his hands on their shoulders, "It's only my Grandmother," Teddy said, laughing, as he tightened his grip and Disapparated.


	12. Memories of the Past

The three men appeared in what seemed to be the middle of nowhere. They were on a hill overlooking the rocky coast, and below them was a small cottage with smoke trailing out of the chimney. The house looked normal, though an old witch lived in it.

Teddy began walking towards it as Harry and Ron followed, "She's wonderful, Ron, she'll love you," Teddy called back to Ron, who had never met the woman. Harry himself knew her pretty well because he would take Teddy to and from her house when he was young. As they walked down the hillside, Harry remembered the first time he met Andromeda, nearly 20 years before. They reached her door and Teddy knocked.

A woman with grey-streaked, black hair and kind eyes opened the door and exclaimed, "Teddy! What a surprise! Harry too! And you must be Ron!" she said as she went to each of them and hugged them as they walked in. "So what brings you here unannounced?" she asked as she closed the door and they hung their cloaks on the rack behind the door.

"Actually we're here on Ministry business, Gran," said Teddy as she led them to the sitting room. The three of them sat down on a comfy sofa, across from a big chair. The room was very cozy and between them and the chair was a pot of tea on a table.

She reentered the room with three more cups and sat in the big chair, "Oh really?" she asked as she leaned forward and poured herself a cup of tea. "Well, how can I help you?" she said as she offered the others tea.

"Thank you," Harry began, taking the cup of tea from her, "but how much do you know about pure-blood families?" Harry asked as the others were also poured tea.

"I'd say I know quite a bit about them since I was a part of one of the largest," she said, looking a little surprised.

"We met someone recently," Harry said as he glanced to his right at Ron, "who, we think, is a pure-blood and we want to know who he is."

"Does this 'someone' have a name?" Andromeda asked as she stood up and took a large leather-bound album from the shelf behind her.

"Well, the thing is, we don't know that," Harry said. "But we know his initials and that he was named after his great-great-great-great-grandfather, named Caelem Ophiuchus. I thought that would be a good place to start."

You could see Andromeda begin to think. She opened the giant album and began flicking through it, muttering, "Ophiuchus, Ophiuchus …" After a few moments of flicking, she said, "Well that will go very far back, so the man you're looking for may not have the same name – Ah," she exclaimed quietly. "See here," she said, turning the album to show a very noble looking man, labeled below. "Caelum Ophiuchus Black, father of Sirius, Phineas Nigellus, Elladora, and Isla Black."

"He was Sirius's father? How does that work?" asked Ron, confused.

Andromeda laughed lightly, "No, Ron; this is Sirius the first – he was our great-great-great-grandfather. You're thinking about my cousin Sirius you're thinking about was named after him. He didn't live long, though – he died at eight. But his brother Phineas Nigellus was Headmaster of Hogwarts at one time," she said, turning the page to show them the familiar man who stood in a portrait at Grimmauld Place.

"So, we know it's a Black, right?" asked Ron, looking up at her.

"Most likely," she said as she leaned back and turned the album around. "What were the initials, Harry? That could narrow it down some more."

"'KOL'," Harry said casually as he sipped his tea.

Andromeda, however, stopped dead; her cup of tea halfway to her mouth, her arm raised. "There is only one pure-blood surname which begins with an 'L'," she said very quietly as she set her cup down. Harry realized it before she even said it, and he dropped his cup, and it fell as if in slow motion as she said it, "Lestrange," and Harry's cup crashed against the floor.

* * *

Harry was woken from his brief trance as his cup shattered, and so was Andromeda it seemed.

Andromeda began speaking again as Ron pulled out his wand, cleaned the ground and repaired his cup. "I would guess the 'O' is Orion or Ophiuchus; Orion was far more common, but if he was named after Caelum it may be Ophiuchus," she said quietly. "Why don't I go get some more tea?" she said abruptly as she stood up, obviously shaken. She took the pot and left the room.

As she left earshot, Ron asked Harry, "Wait, so this guy is Bellatrix's son?"

"I think so," Harry said quietly. "It all makes sense now. Bellatrix and Rodolphus both were captured and sent to Azkaban. I saw it myself in our third year in Dumbledore's Pensive," Harry mumbled. Harry could still hear her voice in his head, _"The Dark Lord with rise again, Crouch! Throw us into Azkaban; we will wait! He will rise again and will come for us, he will reward us beyond any of his other supporters! We alone were faithful! We alone tried to find him!"_

They only stayed for a few more minutes. It was nearing sunset now and they were leaving.

"Thank you so much for your help, Andromeda; we'll see you soon," Harry said as they all stepped outside.

"You're very welcome, Harry," she said as they stood outside her door. "Take care of yourselves."

Instead of walking back up the hillside, Harry turned to the shore and took a stroll.

"What'd you mean by 'soon'?" Teddy asked Harry a few minutes into their walk.

"So why didn't we go to the Ministry before, Harry?" Ron asked, the two of them ignoring Teddy.

"I'm suspecting there is a leak in the Auror Office," Harry began, as he tightened his cloak around his chest and pulled up his hood, as the sun began to set upon the sea. "But that's where we're going next. We need to tell Kingsley the whole story, and I have a plan."


	13. The Plan

It was evening when the three of them arrived at the Ministry. Each of them exited a fireplace, and walked through the empty Atrium, passing through the security gates where Stan Shunpike was sleeping, leaning back in his chair. As they entered the lift behind him, Ron used his wand to tip Stan's chair, causing him to fall over and wake up. As the gates clattered closed, they saw Stan stand up and look all around, looked around, confused.

The lift rattled along, and Harry pressed the number 'one' instead of 'two'. After the inquiring looks from Ron, Harry simply said, "We'll go see Kingsley first."

The lift came to a halt and opened to the dark corridor, Harry stepped off first and walked onward, the others following, Harry looking only forward. They reached the end and Harry knocked on the large door. "Come in," issued Kingsley.

Harry entered the room, thankful that Kingsley was still there. He was sitting at his desk, hunched over a letter, "Harry! Ron, Teddy! Come in, come in," he said as he stood up, waved his wand, and two more chairs appeared alongside the one already opposite his. "Sit, sit," he said, ushering them in, "Can I get you a drink, Harry, Ron?" he asked, seeming flustered.

"No," Harry said, and Ron too shook his head.

"Well," Kingsley said, regaining his authority, "Explain yourselves. What happened? Where's Hermione, and who _did_ do it, Harry?" he asked.

The three of them took the next half hour to tell Kingsley their whole story, from meeting Malfoy at St. Mungo's, to their visit to Andromeda. Kingsley looked very worried after Harry recalled what they found out from Andromeda.

After a few moments of thinking after Harry finished, Kingsley said, "So what's your next move?"

After a sigh, Harry cast _muffliato _in the direction of the door behind them, and he leaned forward and said, "This mustn't leave this room."

* * *

Harry woke up on an old, lumpy bed in a small room. Harry sat upright and put on his glasses. Ron was sleeping in the bed across from him, and Teddy on the floor. Harry threw his legs over the side of the bed and stood up. He bent down and shook Teddy awake, and did the same to Ron.

"Victoré!" Teddy exclaimed as he sat bolt upright.

Ron simply woke up and began dressing, as Harry was.

Harry was putting on his golden watch when Teddy finished dressing. "Ready?" Harry asked Ron and Teddy. Teddy nodded as he put on his Ministry belt.

The three of them exited their room at the Leaky Cauldron and walked down the stairs into the main bar room. The Leaky Cauldron had changed a lot over the years under ownership of Hannah Longbottom. The bar room was no longer the dark and shabby pub it once was, but now it was more lively than ever, receiving triple the business and seeing people from around the world.

The three of them passed through the crowded pub and Hannah called out from behind the bar, "Can I get you anything before you leave, boys?" she asked as they approached the bar.

"No thanks, Hannah, we're just heading out," Harry replied. She nodded in acknowledgment and went to talk to another man. The three Aurors stepped out of the Leaky Cauldron onto Charing Cross Road; the street was busy with the usual morning bustle. Harry stepped forward, the Muggles oblivious to him as he pointed his wand out into the street.

_BANG_, and the familiar purple triple-decker bus appeared, the Muggles still oblivious to the giant, obnoxious purple bus.

"Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard – Harry! Ron!" cried Dennis Creevy, conductor of the Knight Bus.

"Dennis! I didn't know you were the new conductor. How have you been?" asked Ron as they all climbed aboard the bus.

"I was working down at Weasley Wheezes, but I heard the Knight Bus was hiring and this pays pretty well," Dennis said as he closed the door and called, "All ready, Ern!" and with a _BANG_ the bus was off. "So where're you guys heading?"

"The Ministry," Harry said as he handed Dennis eleven sickles and the three of them sat in a group of chairs. Dennis went off to help a witch who had begun to moan in pain, muttering something about pickled slugs.

They were currently speeding along a hilly country-side, covered in grassy pastures and scattered with livestock. The bus came to a halt and let off two young wizards, and _BANG_ they were speeding through down-town London, past several shabby offices and pubs, suddenly stopping in front of spiked black railings flanking two flights of steps, one labeled "gentlemen", the other "ladies".

"Here you are, see you later!" Dennis said as they stepped off the bus and, with yet another _BANG_, it sped off.

The three of them walked down the flight of stairs under the sign "gentlemen", and entered the black and white tiled restroom. There were only a few men inside, lined up in front of stalls. Every so often, a toilet would flush and a man would enter the same stall.

"Why didn't we just Apparate to work, Boss?" Teddy asked as they each stood in a line.

"What's wrong with a little variety, Ted?" Harry said, chuckling. "But also I want to make sure everyone is at the office when we get there," he added, more serious.

There were three simultaneous flushes and the three entered the stalls in front of them. Harry closed the door behind him and stepped into the bowl, his shoes remaining dry. He reached up and pulled the chain, and he zoomed down.

* * *

He emerged from a fireplace in the Atrium just in time to see Teddy step out of the one on his left and Ron already waiting.

They walked through the Atrium as if it were a normal day, only it wasn't. Harry waved at people when they greeted him, but it wasn't Harry's usual self. Harry walked right past the newspaper stand, a rare act.

The three of them walked through the security gates without speaking; Harry didn't wish Stan a good day. They entered a rather full lift, but didn't socialize. As the lift made its way through the floors, Harry, Ron, and Teddy were the only people left when it stopped on their floor. They stepped off the lift and walked down the hallway to the Auror Headquarters.

Harry entered first and found the Headquarters as it usually was, Aurors at their cubicles working, some talking to others, some writing letters, and, in Dawlish's case, dozing. Ron and Teddy went to their corresponding cubicles while Harry walked to the back of the room to his office, not many noticing their entrance.

Harry hung his cloak up and sat in his chair, playing with something small in his pocket. Harry waited for a few minutes, simply sitting there, fumbling in his pocket. After another few minutes, Harry jerked his hand out of his pocket as if scalded, and stood up and walked out of his office.

Harry walked to a young man at a cubicle near his office.

"What're you working on, Trent?" Harry asked him.

"Uh – er –" the young man stuttered, surprised the Head of the Auror Office was talking to him, "er – paperwork on –"

"Boss! I've got something for you!" Teddy cut him off from his cubicle across the room.

"Keep up the good work, Smith, but I've got to take this," Harry said as he left the young man's cubicle and walked towards Teddy's; the young man sighed in relief.

"What's up, Teddy?" Harry asked as he approached.

"We have a disturbance in Aberdeen, we received an owl from our contact saying he saw 'you-know-what'," Teddy replied.

"Great work, Ted," Harry said, then he turned to address the whole office. Many were already looking at Harry and those who weren't looked up at the sudden movement from their leader. "Listen up, Teddy and I are going up north to Aberdeen to check a few things out, so Ron's in charge." Many people looked surprised or confused that the Head of the Auror Office was going on such a lowly mission, and Dawlish, who had just awoken, pretended to look interested.

As everyone returned to their work, Harry turned and gave Ron a curt nod and he and Teddy left the Headquarters.


	14. The Plan - Part 2: The Chase

Harry and Teddy appeared in a dirty alleyway, scaring a stray cat sitting on a dustbin. They both pulled their hoods over their black hair before entering the crowded, overcast street. Just as in London, the streets of Aberdeen were crowded with people going to work or running errands. Instead of pushing through the crowds, the two Aurors walked slowly along the crowd, blending in.

Soon Harry and Teddy reached the marketplace by the harbor with dozens of stalls set up selling produce, meat, supplies, and other items. Harry pretended to browse the market as they passed through. After an hour or so of perusing, they were leaning against a building, resting.

"See anything?" Harry asked quietly, eyes squinting in the bright, cloudy gloom of the port.

"No, I don't think so, Boss," Teddy replied, casually looking through the crowds. "What's that over there?" Teddy asked, jutting his chin toward a building with a larger glass window in its storefront.

Harry smiled as he stood straight and walked away from the building. "Those are Muggle electronic devices. They're for communication. They were rather new and a whole lot bigger when I was a kid."

Teddy followed Harry as he walked past a stall hung with pheasants and chickens. They kept walking through the market until they reached the edge, near the shore. Teddy approached a cart full of cabbages where an old man with white hair and beard stood, looking protective as the hooded man approached. Teddy picked up a cabbage and smelled it.

"Wow, these are nice –" Teddy was cut off when the cart of cabbages exploded, raining cabbage pieces on them. Harry whirled around, his wand out, to see Goyle on the roof of a building, his wand outstretched.

"My cabbages!" the old man cried, as Teddy pushed him down as he narrowly missed another curse from Goyle. Teddy jumped over the man and he and Harry ran for it around the corner. Harry turned and cried, "_Desendio!_" and a large stack of crates they passed toppled over just in time for Goyle to run right into the wreckage. Harry kept running but heard a huge "_crash!_" and looked over his shoulder to see Goyle blast through.

Harry followed Teddy through the harbor, knocking over crates and sailors as they ran. Ahead, Harry saw Blaise standing on a boat. "Ted, watch out!" Harry yelled as Blaise shot a spell at his godson. Harry jumped forward, "_Protego!_" and barely blocked the spell meant for Teddy. They looked back and saw Goyle gaining on them, and Blaise catching up with Goyle. Breathing heavily, Harry and Teddy pushed on, turning corners here and there until they were running parallel to the seashore.

Suddenly, something caught Harry's eye; Two tall columns of rock peeking out over the ocean – the Pillars of McHercules. The two men cut across the beach and noticed that there were no Muggles to be seen on the beach, probably because of the gloom. He and Teddy were struggling across the sand, but looking back; so were Goyle and Zabini. Suddenly Harry and Teddy simultaneously Disapparated, stopping Goyle and Zabini in their tracks, leaving them dumbfounded. But with a flicker of movement, they spotted the Aurors atop one of the pillars, cloaks flapping in the ocean breeze. The two pursuers began launching curses at the pair, none finding their mark, the two trained Aurors systematically blocking and shooting counter-curses.

Harry and Teddy were driving back Blaise and Goyle, but, all of a sudden, out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw the billowing of a cloak and Kalem Lestrange appeared on the pillar ten feet away, shooting a killing curse at Teddy. Horror in Harry's eyes, he barely pushed Teddy aside as the curse flew by, Ted sprawled on the rock. The duel momentarily ceased as he spoke.

"I've got you now, Potter, and I won't make the mistake of letting my miserable oafs of servants 'take care of you'. But before I do so, I will show you the power I possess," he said, his voice just as icy ten feet away, as he pointed to his "oafs". Suddenly, Mulciber and Avery appeared alongside Goyle and Blaise, and then one by one more appeared. Some Harry recognized as former Death Eaters who should be in Azkaban, some were Slytherins he recognized from Hogwarts, but most were strangers to him. One even looked like a Durmstrang Harry saw at Hogwarts in his fourth year.

"These are my Equalists, and you have fallen into yet another trap of mine." He paused before laughing, "No one ever suspects the old man."

Harry's eyes widened, but he wasn't surprised, "So, is Dawlish helping you on his own accord, or is he under the Imperius curse, Lestrange?"

Kalem's eyes narrowed, "I see you've done your homework, Potter, and yes, he is under the Imperius curse."

"Now, this is all cute," Harry smiled and gestured to the crowd on the shore, "but it is you who has fallen into my trap," Harry's voice rising. All he had to do is say one word.

With merely a hint of a blue flash, on the shore appeared a small group of people in a circle facing inward, each with their hand on the shoulder in front of them, with Ron Weasley in the center.

As soon as the group oriented themselves, the circle dispersed and the fighting commenced. All of their allies Harry knew, some better than others. There was young Jonah Diggle, Hannah Longbottom alongside Neville who was still wearing his dragonhide gloves as he disarmed an oncoming Equalist. Also present was Luna Lovegood, her hair in a bun and wearing an apron as she dueled a savage looking woman. To Harry's surprise, there was Zacharias Smith looking a little out of place in his business suit, and, of course, Harry saw Kingsley Shacklebolt break off from the middle of the circle and was already dueling two Equalists. Many of the other allies were members of the Order of the Phoenix, even though it had been inactive for years, or the former Dumbledore's Army.

As the fighting erupted, Kalem whipped around to face Harry and Teddy, his eyes still narrowed, full of hate and desperation. Teddy jumped down from the rock and landed on the shore so lightly, it was like magic. Harry prepared himself for a duel, but it didn't seem to be coming. Harry took his moment, "We were prepared for you, Lestrange, back down now and it might be better for you." Harry wasn't sure this would work, and his suspicions were confirmed as Kalem looked up from the battle, appearing senile as his hand shot into his pocket and fumbled for a moment.

As he stopped fumbling, he muttered, "No. I can't stop now." And then a little louder he said, his voice shaking, "I didn't want to play this card, Mr. Potter, but you've given me no choice. I must show you how serious my intentions are." Out of the corner of his eye, Harry could see that his forces were pushing the Equalists back.

Finally, Kalem's hand was slowly pulling out of his pocket, fist clenched around something small. His trembling fist met his hand and he dropped the object into it, still obscuring its identity. He turned his hands over and repeated the motion. And once more. Harry didn't know what to make of it, but after his third turn something stirred behind him. A figure appeared behind Kalem; it was hard to see in the late sunlight, but Harry could just make out the semi-transparent figure.

The figure was pale and facing away from Harry, so all he could see was the dark hair and a still cloak trailing down its feet while Harry and Kalem's flowed in the ocean breeze. The figure turned slowly, and as it faced Harry, he noticed how blurred its face was, as if it were once beautiful, but now distorted. Its eyes were closed, but as it turned, its hands reached up to its head, and it began to change under its hands. As the hands slid across the head, the hair vanished, leaving its head bald and even paler, and its nose became mere slits. Then the snake-like face was fully facing Harry, and Harry took in a sharp breath, and the red, snake-like eyes opened to look at him.

"Harry Potter," said the voice, cold and high-pitched. "We meet again."


	15. The Plan - Part 3: The Escape

Harry was taken aback as he actually stepped back, but he reasoned with himself and stood firm. _It can't be real, it isn't real._

"Now you see!" Kalem yelled as he wildly waved his arms, Voldemort standing calmly behind him, "My plans are far more developed than you expected! You see, I did my research, and I heard about a banished centaur living in the North."

"Firenze?" Harry asked, trying to stall him if anything, but as he looked at the shore he saw his troops being pushed back, many pointing at the figures atop the pillar and Disapperating. Harry wasn't surprised that Zacharias Smith was nowhere to be found. This was Kalem's card – to strike fear in his opponents. And it was working.

"No, no, no, not that old stargazer, this one's name was Aurelius. I heard about him on my travels. One night I found myself in a tavern in Wylam; I heard the locals talking about the deranged centaur in the woods and I overheard one mention the centaur sent 'his ghosts' after him. At this I asked the wizards what they meant by it. They explained that he was crazy and thought he could raise the dead. I thought it was good enough to investigate, so I entered the woods nearby and found him where the wizards told me he 'nested'."

As Kalem was talking, Harry looked again to the shore to see his forces were still being forced back. It seemed only most of Dumbledore's Army left, leaving those of the Order of the Phoenix. Harry could see Kingsley, Ron, and Teddy rallying them, and Neville and Luna fighting alongside another. It seemed as though Hannah had left, but out of fear or Neville's insistence, Harry did not know.

"There I found him in his 'nest' muttering to himself . . . or perhaps to someone else. As he rambled, I told him that I believed him. He stopped gibbering immediately and held out this," Kalem said as he held the ring to Harry, holding it between his thumb and index finger. As Harry looked through it he could see Kalem's eyes looking back at him. Behind him Voldemort looked disgusted, refusing to look at it.

"He said he found it on the forest floor near a spider's lair after a rain, stomped into the ground by years of centaurs. He said he was about to throw it on the ground when in front of him stirred the imaged of his late friend. He realized its power and it soon went to his head. He began to draw away from his pack and soon they banished him. He ran away and ended up there. As he told me all of this, he was fumbling with the stone in his hand.

"So there it was, one hallow right in front of me. So I took it," he said as his fist closed around the ring. "And now I have the ultimate advisor to all my plans."

Harry's eyes narrowed and he made a decision. In a split second, Harry jumped off the stone just as Kalem shot a spell at him. As he landed softly on the wet sand, rubble from the pillar rained down around him. He ran towards the fight, occasionally stunning an Equalist. He reached Kingsley and put a hand on his shoulder, "Retreat to Site B." But before he could leave, Kingsley grabbed Harry's arm.

"Is it him?" he asked cautiously. Harry shook his head and looked to the pillars – one shorter than the other now – but they were gone. Harry turned back to Kingsley but he had already gone, so Harry too ran through the crowd dispersing the plan. As he ran he told Ron and Teddy and they went to tell the others. A minute later Harry thought it was enough and he shot up red sparks over the battle.

The Equalists looked up briefly out of distraction, but by the time they looked back, the others were gone with wisp of sand as the sun set.

* * *

The group appeared on the hill overlooking the Burrow where Harry and the Weasley's played two on two quidditch all those years ago and where he taught his sons to play.

There were only half a dozen of them left, including Kingsley, Ron, Teddy, Neville, Luna, and Harry standing alone on the hill. It was dark now and their spirits were low.

"I ought to get back to school," said Neville. "After I see Hannah, though." He hugged Harry, Ron, and Luna before walking down the hill and Disapparated.

"Will you stay a while, Luna?" Harry asked as he turned to her.

"No thank you, Harry, I should get back to Phillip and Henry; they didn't really understand what was going on," she replied matter-a-factly, her wand stuck behind her ear as she simply Disapparated.

"Kingsley?" Harry asked, turning finally to him.

"Sure," he replied and they walked down the other side of the hill.

As they reached the garden, Ginny burst out the front door and threw herself at Harry, with only the light from the doorway and the moon to shine on their embrace.

"Oh thank goodness you're alright," said Molly Weasley as she walked down the steps and hugged Ron, then Teddy. Arthur Weasley walked out after her and shook Kingsley's hand, mentioning 'something strong' and walked inside with him.

At this Harry and Ginny separated and went inside with Teddy. They all were sitting at the table in the dining room, Arthur and Kingsley drinking firewhiskey, Molly sitting next to Ron. Harry and Ginny sat down, and Teddy sat between Ron and Harry.

"Wait, where's Hermione?" Ginny asked, looking between Ron and Harry. Ron simply averted his gaze.

"She was taken, not too long after we left . . ." So Teddy and Harry filled in the others on their trip, from Godric's Hallow, to Aberdeen, to the Ministry of Magic, and back to Aberdeen.

They sat in silence for a while, with only the gentle _thunk_ from Ron's glass of firewhiskey which he got as their journey was told.

"I want to go find Hermione," Ron suddenly said, looking at Harry as he drained his glass.

"We will, mate, but we've got to think about the matter at hand –"

"No. I want to do it first. And I want to do it now." Ron said, with determination in his eyes again.

"But, Ron, you have to be realistic, we don't have much to go on," Kingsley said. Suddenly Ron stood up.

"Then I'll do it alone," he said firmly, knocking his chair over as he walked out the door, the door bouncing off the jam as he slammed it shut.

"Ronald!" Molly shouted and tried to walk after him, but Mr. Weasley simply touched her arm.

"Let him. He has to sort things out himself," he said and Molly sat back down. All Harry could do was look at the door, wishing he could help his friend.


	16. The Breaking Point

In the following days Harry tried to go back to work as normal, but it just didn't feel _right_. With Ron away, everything felt lopsided. Teddy seemed to be lacking his usual light; he wouldn't crack jokes like he used to and he tended to sport his black hair more often. He even moved back to his apartment over a Polish bakery in London after a few days at the Burrow, leaving the house feeling empty, despite the kids.

A week pasted since their return and Ron's departure and things seemed to go from bad to worse. Suddenly a great deal more Muggle disturbances and other crimes sprung up throughout their jurisdiction, including a few kidnappings. Soon Harry stopped buying a Daily Prophet in the morning since they had become so depressing. Even the office seemed disheartening, with so many Aurors in the field and without Ron.

Even worse was that all Harry could think about were Kalem and the Hallows. Harry couldn't help but wonder where KOL was at that moment. The first day Harry came back to the office, he dowsed Dawlish from behind with a bucket of enchanted water. Dawlish immediately came to, but after all Harry's questions, he could not find any information on Kalem's plans. Harry gave Dawlish a month off and was left without any clues of Kalem's plan.

It was nearing the end of autumn, and Harry would try to focus on work, but his mind kept pulling him back to the Hallows. Soon he became almost as obsessed with the Hallows as when he was a teenager. He knew the other two were safe at Hogwarts, so why was he so worried? The workday was almost over after a whole day of not being able to concentrate; Harry pulled out of his desk an old piece of large parchment. He laid it out on his desk and tapped it with his wand, "_I solemnly swear I am up to no good._ Damn I'm glad I decided to wait to give this to Albus," he murmured under his breath as ink spread across the parchment, the words '_Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs are pleased to present The Marauder's Map'_ appearing.

Harry quickly found Albus in the Gryffindor common room as it was evening and after classes and then James up in the seventh flood corridor getting in who-knows-what kind of trouble. Next Harry found the Headmaster's office, and there was Professor McGonagall, unbeknown that the most powerful wand lies behind her in the secret compartment behind Professor Snape's portrait. This made Harry wonder if she had actually found it but left it alone. Harry shook this thought from his mind.

Harry sat for a few minutes, simply thinking, as he had done often lately. Thinking not only of the Hallows and Kalem, but his children, his daughter who was feeling neglected from the father she loved dearly and those at school receiving letters from their mother about the happenings of the Burrow, trying to shed a good light on their uncle's disappearance. Also on his wife herself, troubled that her husband was being so distant recently, but also understanding, and holding strong for her daughter. Finally Harry thought of Teddy, his godson who felt ashamed and disheartened that his first few missions as an Auror didn't go too well. _I am responsible_ he decided.

Suddenly Harry stood from his chair and strode to his office door. He yanked it open and walked down the row between cubicles. Only three people were in the office at the time, including Teddy. Two Aurors were in deep discussion at a desk, but Teddy's eyes instantly followed Harry as he walked by, but Harry didn't acknowledging him.

Harry walked swiftly down the purple-carpeted hall to the lift at the end. He hastily punched the 'one' and lurched downward. As the lift came to a halt, Harry jumped out and marched down the hall, simply looking forward. Harry didn't step out of stride as he walked straight into Kingsley's office, without bothering to knock. There he found Kingsley going through files.

"Who do you – Harry!" Kingsley yelled, obviously surprised, but not angry with Harry, "What's the meaning of this?"

"I – I just can't take it anymore, sir," Harry said as he spoke quickly, wringing his hands. "I have to go after them – I have to get the Hallows before him!"


	17. The Tale of the Three Brothers, Again

"The what?" Kingsley asked, obviously confused, passing Harry a small glass of firewhiskey.

Harry drained the glass before speaking again, "The Hallows, the Deathly Hallows, sir."

"I don't follow," Kingsley simply replied as he took a swig of firewhiskey.

"Are you familiar with the Beedle's 'The Tale of the Three Brothers'?"

Sorry, Harry, but no, I was never read it as a child."

Harry was losing his patience, but as a good father, he regained his composure, "I've read it to my kids plenty of times, I can recite it to you.

"_There were once three brothers who were traveling along a lonely, winding road at twilight. In time, the brothers reached a river too deep to wade across. However, these brothers were learned in the magical arts, and so they simply waved their wands and made a bridge appear across the treacherous water. They were halfway across it when they found their path blocked by a hooded figure._

_ "And Death spoke to them. He was angry that he had been cheated out of three new victims, for travelers usually drowned in the river. But Death was cunning. He pretended to congratulate the three brothers upon their magic, and said that each had earned a prize for having been clever enough to evade him. _

_ "So the oldest brother, who was a combative man, asked for a wand more powerful than any in existence: a wand that must always win duels for its owner, a wand worthy of a wizard who had conquered Death! So Death crossed to an elder tree on the banks of the river, fashioned a wand from a branch that hung there, and gave it to the oldest brother._

_ "The second brother, who was an arrogant man, decided that he wanted to humiliate Death still further, and asked for the power to recall others from Death. So Death picked up a stone from the riverbank and gave it to the second brother, and told him that the stone would have the power to bring back the dead._

_ And then Death asked the third and youngest brother what he would like. The youngest brother was the humblest and also the wisest of the brothers, and he did not trust Death. So he asked for something that would enable him to go forth from that place without being followed by Death. And Death, most unwillingly, handed over his own Cloak of Invisibility._

_ "Then Death stood aside and allowed the three brothers to continue on their way, and they did so, talking with wonder of the adventure they had had, and admiring Death's gifts._

_ "In due course, the brothers separated, each for his own destination._

_ "The first brother traveled on for a week or more, and reaching a distant village, sought out a fellow wizard with whom he had a quarrel. Naturally, with the Elder Wand as his weapon, he could not fail to win the duel that followed. Leaving his enemy dead upon the floor, the oldest brother proceeded to an inn, where he boasted loudly of the powerful wand he had snatched from Death himself, and of how it made him invincible._

_ "That very night, another wizard crept upon the oldest brother as he lay, wine-sodden, upon his bead. The thief took the wand and, for good measure, slit the older brother's throat._

_ "And so Death took the first brother for his own._

"_Meanwhile, the second brother journeyed to his own home, where he lived alone. Here he took out the stone that had the power to recall the dead, and turned it thrice in his hand. To his amazement and delight, the figure of the girl he had once hoped to marry, before her untimely death, appeared at once before him._

_ "Yet she was sad and cold, separated from him as by a veil. Though she had returned to the mortal world, she did not truly belong there and suffered. Finally the second brother, driven mad with hopeless longing, killed himself so as truly to join her._

_ "And so Death took the second brother for his own._

_ "But though Death searched for the third brother for many years, he was never able to find him. It was only when he was attained a great age that the younger brother finally took off the Cloak of Invisibility and gave it to his son. And then he greeted Death as an old friend, and went to him gladly, and, as equals, they departed his life." _

"That's it?" Kingsley asked.

"That's it."

"I don't think I get it. What does this have to do with the Deathly Hallows?"

Harry looked around the room, looking for some paper and a utensil. Finally Harry dipped his finger in his firewhiskey and drew a triangle on the desk, "the invisibility cloak," then he drew a circle inside of it, "the resurrection stone," and finally a line through the middle, "the elder wand. Together, the Deathly Hallows."

Kingsley waited a moment before speaking, "So you're saying these are real?" he asked, disbelieving.

"Yes! Of course they are! My invisibility cloak is one of them! And the stone! It's what Kalem used at Aberdeen! I've seen my parents . . ." Harry said, massaging his temples, "Dumbledore took the wand from Grindelwald."

This seemed to recapture Kingsley's attention, "Okay, so what if these items are real? What are you going to do about them? You can't possibly expect to scour the entire Earth to find these other two objects."

"No," Harry replied, "I know exactly where they are."


	18. A Nice Welcome Home

Harry and Teddy were walking through the main road in Hogsmeade. Their cloaks billowed behind them as they passed the various shops; it was late now and Harry had talked to Kingsley hours ago.

The road Harry had so often taken as a teenager seemed gloomier as they trudged up the dark, deserted lane. This was the second time he realized how much he appreciated the thestral-pulled carriages that carried students into Hogwarts. Soon the Aurors reached the winged boars atop the tall pillars on either side of the gate which opened to the Hogwarts grounds; the gates were chained shut. Fortunately, Neville was standing there waiting for them.

"Ted – Harry – good, you're finally here," Neville said as they reached the gate. He tapped the padlock and the chains snaked backward and the gates creaked open. "So, another secret adventure, eh?" Neville said, laughing, as they walked up the dark path. Neville, scarily, took on the appearance of a male Professor Sprout; he was wearing a patched hat and dirty, brown robes.

"Yeah, kind of," Harry replied half-heartedly. Harry looked to his left and he could see the smoke trailing up from Hagrid's hut and the lights twinkling in the windows of the Great Hall. "This should be quick."

The three men soon reached the great oaken front doors of Hogwarts; Neville tapped the door with his wand and, after a series of metallic clicks, the doors swung open and they walked inside.

The castle was eerily quiet; it was late now, supper was long over and all the students were in bed.

"It feels like I just left this place," Teddy sighed, "Where to first, Boss?"

"We'll visit McGonagall's office first, then I need to see my sons" Harry said, actually smiling, walking up one of Hogwarts's vast staircases. "We'll be out of here in no time.

"So how're your classes going, Neville?" Harry asked.

"They're going excellent; in my first and second year classes I've been teaching basic Herbology – you know – mandrakes, hopping toadstools, that sort of stuff," Neville rambled on as they hiked up the moving staircases, passing paintings, many of which tipped their hats to Harry, ". . . but my NEWT classes have been wonderful, we've been working with Fanged Geranium, and Snargaluff stumps, and I even had an extra credit project to see if anyone would carry around a Mimbulus mimbletonia and take care of it for a whole week!

"So how's Auror work going?" Neville asked as the rounded a staircase, "Sometimes I do miss it, but it could never pull me away from teaching."

"Things haven't been great lately, but it shouldn't last long," Harry replied, "So how's the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor? I heard he was a bit young for a Hogwarts teacher."

"He's doing well in fact, he's really fitting – ahhgh!" Neville began before he was cut off by the exploding banister next to him. Harry immediately looked at the top of the stairs and saw Goyle, poised with his wand still aloft pointing at the three men.

"_Tarantallegra!_" Harry shouted, and Goyle's feet suddenly started dancing, causing him to tumble down the stairs. As he plummeted towards the trio, Harry and Teddy jumped up onto the banister and Neville gave him a swift kick as he rolled by.

"Oi! Where did he come from?" Neville asked as Harry and Teddy jumped down from the banister and ran up the stairs.

"There must be more!" Harry shouted back to Neville who was struggling to keep up, "We've got to get to the Headmaster's office – somehow they knew I'd come here!"

"Blimey, Harry, you sure do know how to get people on your bad side!" Neville shouted back, "Look out!"

Just as they turned a corner, there were two Equalists waiting for them. "Ted – you get left, I'll take right," Harry said under his breath. Teddy gave a curt nod and attacked. Teddy sent a stunning spell at his foe as Harry did the same to his; Teddy's blocked the spell and sent a blasting hex at Harry while Harry's attacker crumpled under the unexpected spell; Harry barely blocks the blasting hex sent at him and it ricocheted off and hit the wall, causing a large hole to appear. Suddenly, from behind them two stunning spells his their attacker and he crumples onto the floor. Harry and Teddy whirl around to find Neville with a young man, both with their wands extended.

"Harry, I'd like you to meet our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher – Mr. Kenneth Kavanagh."

"Nice to finally meet you; I had heard that someone finally replaced ol' Gawain Robards," Harry said as he shook the man's hand; he was wearing a tweedy, brown vest and a red and white polka-dotted bow tie. His hair was brown, neat, and short, as was his moustache.

"Mighty nice to meet 'cha, Mista' 'Arry Potter. You can call me Kav, renegade," he replied as he shook Harry's hand, grinning, "Neville 'ere ran and grabbed me out of m' office an' told me 'da predicament you all're in. I'm 'ere to help."

"Alright, 'Kav'; now listen, I need you to go wake up all the teachers and tell them that we are under attack; have the heads of houses keep their students in their dormitories and then set up what ever defensive precautions they have," Harry told Mr. Kavanagh, "I'll contact the Ministry and the Order. Got it?"

"Wake up 'da staff, 'eep the kids in bed, and defend. Got it," Kav replied and he ran up the nearest staircase.

"_Expecto Patronum!_" Harry yelled and a great silvery stag erupted from his wand, "Kingsley, send back up – Aurors, Order of the Phoenix, anything you've got!" Harry told the stag, and it bounded down the hallway and jumped out a window.

"Neville, you come with me and Teddy to McGonagall's office," as he said this several bangs above him, "I expect we'll have to fight our way up to the seventh floor, ready?"

"I'll follow you anywhere, Harry," Neville replied. Harry looked into his friend's eyes, realizing how much everyone he knows trusts him, revers him, and how he has been responsible for their lives more times than he could count. How many of his friends that have died for him. Harry blinked back tears of his past. Today was not going to be like that day, or any of those days.

"Okay let's go."

* * *

Harry, Teddy, and Neville were running through the corridors of Hogwarts, dodging spells here, shooting counter-curses back, and they were doing well; they had made it to the sixth floor and they were huddled in the top of a staircase, catching their breath.

"Just one more floor after this to go, _huff puff_, Harry," Neville panted, bent over, dirt smeared across his face from the dust and smoke of the battle. He had long ago lost his patched hat.

"There should be a short cut through one of these bathrooms to the next floor," Harry began, "we should take that."

"Are you sure it's there? I never saw one," Teddy asked quizzically.

"I had help," Harry simply said, smiling, a stunning spell came hurtling by them from the bottom of the staircase on which they stood.

"THERE HE IS!"

Two dark clad Equalists stood there in the middle of the staircase, wands raised, but before they could let of another hex, Teddy shouted, "_Glisseo_!"

The stairs beneath their feet flattened into a chute and the Equalists below plunged down and out of sight.

"Nice one, Teddy; let's go!" Harry said as he ran down the corridor.

The three men rounded a corner and found a destroyed hallway. It seemed as though the fight moved downstairs and the upper floors were deserted. Harry spotted the statue of Hazel the Snaggle-Toothed Hag, "There, that's the entrance."

The bathroom was much like all the other Hogwarts restrooms, only bigger; there were several sinks and mirrors lined up on the wall across from the door and an open space in the middle. This brought back a bad memory from Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts, and he just wanted to leave. "C'mon, guys, the staircase is over here," Harry said as he pressed a tile on the far wall and a staircase appeared out of it.

"Wow, Boss, that's amazing," Teddy gaped as he followed Neville and Harry up the hidden staircase.

As Teddy stepped off of the staircase and onto the seventh floor, the staircase slid back into the wall, with no trace of it ever being there. A few meters in front of them was the statue of a gargoyle – the entrance to the headmaster's office.

"Listen, Neville," Harry said as they walked toward the gargoyle, "I think you should take Teddy and go help your friend Kav; I can handle it from here. Neville simply smiled.

"'Sugar quill'," Neville said as they approached the gargoyle. It immediately hopped to the side and the wall slid open to reveal a spiral staircase. Neville clapped Harry on his shoulder. "Go ahead, Harry; do what you need to do." Teddy left without argument, but didn't seem too happy.

Harry began trudging up the spiral stairs that he so often climbed during his time at Hogwarts. When he reached the wooden door at the top, he reached out to knock – an old habit. Instead, Harry turned the nob on the large door and entered. The Headmaster's Office had changed a bit since Harry's days at Hogwarts; there were no longer whirling, buzzing, flying metal objects on the desk like there were in Dumbledore and Snape's time, but instead the desk was cleared except for a single quill and a single inkwell. Though more obvious were the many more books along the walls; stacks and stacks of text books, biographies, and spell books, so many so that McGonagall had made pathways to reach them all.

"Mr. Potter! So nice to see you, sir!" said a voice from above.

"Mister Potter! Can you tell us what is going?" said another. Harry looked up to see many of the portraits of former Headmasters looking down at him. Many were missing visiting other painting, seeing what was going on for themselves.

"I can't tell you much, Professor Dippet, but I can tell you that bad people are attacking Hogwarts. I honestly don't know how or why they came in the first place," Harry replied to a frail looking old wizard who Harry recognized as Dumbledore's predecessor. Then another portrait spoke to him.

"Hello, Mr. Potter," Harry looked up and saw the portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black looking down at him. He was a clever-looking wizard with a pointed beard who had been painted wearing the Slytherin colors of green and silver. He was obviously not very pleased to see him, "I noticed that I cannot return to my painting in number 12 Grimmauld Place. May I ask what you did to the noble and most ancient House of Black?"

"Why not a nice 'hello', Phineas? You don't _have_ to live with me, you know," Harry replied, "It was destroy, I don't know if it'll be habitable anymore. Sorry, there was nothing I could do about it."

"_Gah!_ How could you do this to the noble and ancient House of Black! You and my great-great-grandson were the worst thing to happen to our family, and –"

"Phineas. Please. There is no need for shouting. I do not believe Harry was responsible," said a very calm voice.

This was the person Harry was hoping to see.

"Harry, my boy. I've been expecting you."


	19. The First Recovery

"Dumbledore," Harry breathed, looking at the man. He was painted in one of his purple robes with yellow moons and stars. His bright, light blue eyes were twinkling from behind his half-moon spectacles and his silvery hair and beard were tucked into his belt.

"Harry, I think I know why you are here, and I don't think you should do it," Dumbledore simply stated.

"But Dumbledore, you of all people must understand, I had to get to them before him!" Harry replied, pleading with the portrait.

"Harry, I do not know who you are up against, but I do know that you did the wrong thing. The only thing that I'm confused about is how Hermione let you do it."

Harry merely stared at the man. _The wrong thing?_, "I don't understand, Dumbledore, what do you mean?"

"Harry, Harry, Harry, the only way this man, or woman, could have found the wand is if you made the move to defend it. Your adversary played you." Harry sat down in the chair he so often sat in during his time at Hogwarts. "Now, Hermione?"

"We were ambushed in Godric's Hallow. They were hiding out in Bathilda's home and Hermione was taken before we could escape. That's also why Ron isn't here; he left to go find her. I haven't had contact with him for a little over a month."

"I see. I advise you to not to take the wand, but alas, I cannot stop you. So I do warn you, it will not be so easy to put it back."

"Thank you, Dumbledore," Harry said as he stood up from the chair and walked behind the desk.

"I hope you will come back after. I know someone who you might want to thank," Dumbledore said as Harry came face to face with him, Dumbledore's eyes twinkling "it's better late than never."

"Thank you."

* * *

Harry was running down the seventh floor corridor, looking for kids. Harry could hear the bangs of the battle below, but he did not know the extent of the fight. Finally, as he rounded the statue of Hazel, the Snaggle-Toothed Hag, he saw a little boy crouched against the wall and an older girl consoling him.

". . . C'mon, Ernie, you can't sit here all night, you've got to go inside, you're not old enough to fight and it's not safe out here."

"But Bonnie, what if someone from the Ministry needs to go inside an' no one is there to let 'em in?"

"Ernie, what are the odds of that happening?"

"Not high, but possible," Harry said as he ran up to the two students, "either one of you a Gryffindor?"

The children simply gaped at Harry, "You're Harry Potter!" the boy exclaimed, "You're here to help!"

"Yes, but are either of you –"

"I am a Gryffindor," the girl said immediately, "and so is my brother."

"Hey! I was here to help people into the common room, not you!" the boy began.

"Hey, I don't mind who it is, all I need to know is the password. I need to see my son."

"We can help you, Mister Potter sir," the boy said eagerly.

"Hi, my name is Bonnie Hooper, and this is my twelve year old brother Ernie," the girl stated as they walked along the corridor, her brother leading. The boy was short for his age and had medium brown hair while the girl had light blonde hair; Harry didn't think they were siblings, but he saw the resemblance in the way they held themselves, both so sure of themselves. Harry caught Bonnie looking at him.

"He looks like you, you know," she simply said, stopping walking and looking at him. "I'm a prefect and I've kept an eye on him. His brother hasn't been messing with him anymore, either. It's right around the corner," she said and walked on, leaving him. Harry was rooted there on the stone floor for a moment before he regained his composure and followed.

The boy was already standing in front of the painting of the Fat Lady, waiting for them, ". . . so you decided to come back in, hmm? Well I'm glad you chose to be safe, lord knows we don't need to lose any more students," the Fat Lady said to herself.

"Actually I'm only here to let in Harry Potter; 'royal hippogriff'," Ernie said to the painting and it swung open to reveal the portrait hole behind her. As she swung open, Harry found himself face to face to the woman Harry once saw every day for most of his time at Hogwarts.

"Harry Potter, oh my, it's been a long time," she said excitedly, "what's going on down there, I would go see for myself but I need to stay in case someone needs to get inside the tower."

"I can't tell you much because I don't completely know myself, but I can tell you that some bad people are after me," Harry said and he climbed through the portrait hole.

Harry stopped dead as he entered the round, cozy, red and gold clad room full of squashy armchairs and young Gryffindors; this brought Harry back to the first time he entered the room, almost twenty-six years ago.

"Dad?" a curious voice said from one of the armchairs next to the fireplace – one of Harry's favorite chairs, in fact, "Dad!"

Soon Harry was embraced by his eldest son, James, and Harry squeezed him back, "James, you've grown!"

"Maybe a little, what are you doing here? Are you here to help?" James asked. Some of the other children began to look at the pair, but they didn't notice or care.

"Yes, I'm here to help, but maybe you can help me," Harry said, kneeling down, looking into his son's brown eyes, "Where is Albus?"

"He's probably in his dormitory, _hiding_," James replied exasperated.

"Okay, now James, I want you to stay in here; I'm going to go upstairs but then I'm leaving. Okay? You've got to stay here. Got it?" Harry asked, very serious.

"Sure, Dad," James replied softly.

Harry kissed James' forehead and stood up, "Thank you, James. Be good. I love you."

* * *

Harry knocked softly on the door and walked in. There on the bed was Albus Severus, lying on his four-poster bed reading _Quidditch Through the Ages_, all alone in the room.

"Dad? What are you doing here?" Albus asked, completely confused.

"Hey, Al, I've come to talk to you," Harry replied as he sat on the bed next to Albus'.

"You came all the way to Hogwarts to talk? You could have sent an owl, Dad."

Harry chuckled, "No, I'm here because of all this chaos. But I do need to talk to you."

Albus shut the book and sat up, his feet dangling off the side of his bed, "What is it, Dad?"

"It's about the cloak I gave you. I probably should tell you the truth about it."

"What about it, Dad? Did you steal it?"

"What? No, of course not, Al. Everything about how I got it was true; my dad gave it to me, and his dad gave it to him. The thing I didn't tell you, is what it actually is. Do you remember The Tale of the Three Brothers?"

"Of course I do, Dad," Albus said, laughing, "I was my favorite."

"Well didn't you think it was curious that the youngest brother also has an invisibility cloak?

"Well, I guess I never thought of it like that . . ."

"The thing is, it is the same cloak. And the other things, the wand and the stone, they're real too."

"Whoa, so Dad, you're saying that someone out there has the Elder Wand? But, wouldn't everyone know about it?"

"The thing is, Al, not everyone believes in fairy tales anymore, and not just 'someone' has the wand, right now no one has it, but Dumbledore had it last."

"Dumbledore?" Albus asked in awe.

"Yep, and the wand was buried with him, and that's why those bad people are here. They're after the wand."

"Okay," Albus said slowly, "but why are you telling me this? What do you need me?"

"Well, Al, I need the cloak. The bad person who wants the wand also had the stone, so I need the cloak if I'll have any hope of beating him.

"So what do you say?"

Albus slowly slid of the bed and walked to his school trunk at the foot of his bed and opened it. When he closed it, he was holding the shiny, silvery material Harry knew to be the Cloak of Invisibility. Harry let Albus place the cloak in his hands before he said anything. Albus was looking at the cloak in his hands, then their identical green eyes met.

"You can use it whenever you want, Dad. It is yours."

"Thank you, son," Harry said as he threw the cloak over himself, "I love you."


	20. The Most Difficult Recovery

Harry hopped out of the hole which led to the Gryffindor Tower, and ran down the hall. The bangs and commotion of below seemed to have grown during his time in the tower, and he was worrying about whether or not the teachers of Hogwarts, or the Aurors and friends Kingsley sent would be able to hold the castle. Harry put that thought out of his mind and focused on his task at hand: the wand.

Harry, invisible, was running down the stairs. While the seventh floor was nearly untouched, the staircases of Hogwarts were in ruins due to the fighting. There were chunks missing from the rails here and there, some whole steps missing as well. Harry looked over the edge of the stairs and saw flashes of the many wizards dueling below him, so Harry ran faster.

Harry's knowledge of the Hogwarts passageways came back to him in a flash. Harry knew exactly which steps to skip; he knew exactly where to avoid people from his time in his fifth year, but soon, Harry entered the fray. Having the advantage of invisibility, Harry didn't engage any Equalists directly, but instead helped those out who were being overwhelmed. Harry jumped the last few steps of a staircase that was blown to bits and landed on the second floor, and was immediately caught in the middle of a duel. As the Equalist cast his spell, Harry blocked the spell and rolled out of the way just enough so he was not hit by the Auror's spell which caught the confused Equalist off-guard. Harry rolled onto his feet and ran down the corridor which led to the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor's office. Here, Harry found Neville dueling Zabini.

"_Crucio_!" Zabini yelled, his black cloak flapping behind him as he circled Neville.

Neville easily dodged the curse and shot back, "_Petrifictus Totalus_!" and Zabini blocked the spell.

Zabini raised his wand in the air, "_Avada –_"

But before he could finish the curse, Harry silently disarmed him, _Expelliarmus!_

Zabini's wand flew out of his hand and Neville, even though he didn't understand what occurred, took his chance to stun him.

Harry continued running, passing through duels, disarming Equalists, blocking spells meant for Aurors, Order members, or Hogwarts staff and students. Harry had trouble getting down to the next floor; the stairs were full of students fighting Equalists, but Harry made do by blasting a few Equalists off the stairs. Soon Harry came to a bit of the stairs completely blasted off half-way to the next floor. Harry knew he had no choice so he held the cloak tightly around him and jumped.

The Invisibility Cloak flapped around him as he flew down and Harry was sure some kids would see his legs pass, but he did not care, his mission was more important. Before he reached the stone floor, Harry cast a Cushioning Charm and he landed softly. On the ground floor, the battle was more intense; Harry was in the middle of the Entrance Hall, but his path way to the large oaken front doors was blocked by many duelers. To his left he saw the Great Hall where the house tables were missing and most of the fight was happening. In the distance, Harry could see Kalem dueling Kingsley and Kavanagh. Against his will, he turned away from them and ran through the crowd. Harry tried his best not to touch anyone, but when he had no pathway or he an Equalist was going to run into him, he stunned a few Equalists to the surprise of their duelers. Finally he reached the open front doors and he jumped over a pair of duelers standing in front of the doorway. Harry rolled into his fall and kept running.

Harry ran through the abandoned courtyard, passing the Herbology green houses, and headed towards the lake. It was getting really late now, Harry guessed around midnight – perhaps even later. Harry could feel the stinging cold wind on his face as he ran, ran with all his might. It wasn't long before he reached the place.

It was only his third time visiting the white tomb, and Harry knew it would be most difficult, even harder than when Harry saw Dumbledore's body engulfed in white flames and encased in marble. The tomb itself was about seven feet long and made of pure white marble. Around the area, trees and flowers were planted to make the area seem nicer, more pleasant. But in the low light of the night, it only made it more eerie; the trees had dropped their leaves, the flowers weren't blooming, and the lake seemed cold and lifeless. Nevertheless, Harry approached the tomb. Harry once told himself that he would never be able to do what Voldemort did; he could never break into Dumbledore's tomb and reap it of its treasure. But Harry had to know. It was his only choice.

"_Wingardium Leviosa_," Harry murmured, and the lid to the tomb slowly levitated and Harry placed it down on the ground. A single tear streaked Harry's invisible face as he approached the tomb, and he peered inside. Dumbledore's purple and gold-stared wrappings were replaced and he was hidden. Harry lifted his phoenix feather wand to the wrappings, _Diffindo_, and they were cut down the middle.

Beneath the wrappings was Albus Dumbledore, wearing the clothing he was wearing the night he was killed. That fateful night that was for naught. His half-moon glasses were still propped on his crooked nose, and his wand was held in his hands, just how Harry left it nineteen years ago. Harry slowly reached for the wand. He hesitated for just a moment, then he remembered the words Dumbledore told him on the night he died, "_There is nothing to be feared from a body, Harry, any more than there is anything to be feared from darkness . . . It is the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness, nothing more_," and Harry kept reaching. He gently slid the wand out of the clutches of the dead man before him, and soon he had it free. Harry put his own wand in Dumbledore's tomb, forcing himself to return.

The Elder Wand did not feel as familiar as his phoenix feather wand; he didn't have the same warm feeling he had when holding _his_ wand. But, curiously, Harry felt as though the wand knew him, as though it had been waiting for him. Harry knew why. He was the wand's master. He controlled it. And now, he was unstoppable.


End file.
